Monitor
subscriptions cost the Federation about twenty-five dollars per year. Members
are invited, and nonmembers are requested, to cover the subscription cost. Donations
should be made payable to National Federation of the Blind and sent to:

The
2004 NFB convention will take place in Atlanta, Georgia, June 29 through July
5 at the Marriott Marquis Hotel, 265 Peachtree Center Avenue, Atlanta, Georgia
30303. The overflow hotel is the Hilton Atlanta and Towers, just across Courtland
from the Marriott Marquis. Room rates are singles, doubles, and twins $59 and
triples and quads $65 a night, plus tax of 14 percent at present. The hotels
are accepting reservations now. A $60-per-room deposit is required to make a
reservation. Fifty percent will be refunded if notice of cancellation is given
before June 1, 2004. The other 50 percent is not refundable. For reservations
call the Marriott Marquis at (404) 521-0000 and the Hilton Atlanta and Towers
at (404) 659-2000.

Rooms
will be available on a first-come, first-served basis. Reservations may be made
before June 1, assuming that rooms are still available. After that the hotels
will not hold their room blocks. So make your reservation now.

Both
hotels are twelve miles north of the Atlanta-Hartsfield International Airport
and are conveniently located off Interstate 85. Take Exit 96, International
Boulevard, turn left onto International Boulevard, go to Peachtree Center Avenue,
and turn right. The Marriott Marquis is on the right in the second block. To
get to the Hilton, turn left onto International Boulevard, go to Piedmont Avenue,
and turn right. The Hilton is on the left. Guest-room amenities in both hotels
include cable television, coffee pot, iron and ironing board, hair dryer, and
dataport.

[LEAD
PHOTO/CAPTION: Near the close of the grand opening program, representatives
of the organizations making million-dollar gifts to the capital campaign joined
dignitaries and Federation representatives on stage for the ribbon-cutting ceremony.
Here President Maurer uses oversized scissors to cut the broad, textured red
ribbon. Pictured left to right are Jason Polanski, a seven-year-old from Maryland
representing the next generation of blind people; Barbara Walker Loos, president
of the American Action Fund for Blind Children and Adults; Wally O’Dell, chairman
and CEO of Diebold, Inc.; Mary Ellen Jernigan, NFB executive director of operations;
(almost entirely hidden) Steve Marriott, senior vice president of culture and
special events for Marriott International, Inc.; Marc Maurer, president of the
National Federation of the Blind; and Robert L. Ehrlich, Jr., governor of the
state of Maryland.]

Imagine
Tomorrow:

Grand
Opening, NFB Jernigan Institute

by
Barbara Pierce

Dear
Friends,

Today
we open the National Federation of the Blind Jernigan Institute, the tangible
representation of the faith that we have in the future for the blind. In this
Institute we are absolutely certain that the dreams we have for a bright tomorrow
will be fulfilled. We who are blind, along with our friends and colleagues,
will explore unknown territory and develop new forms of communication. We will
create opportunity for the blind of this generation and for the children that
come after us. We have built on the dreams of our predecessors, and we know
that they are proud of what we accomplish this day. We thank all who have participated
in this tremendous effort, and we promise that what we begin today with such
anticipation is but the first step in bringing true independence to the blind
of the nation and the world. With unfaltering faith, with unquenchable determination,
we look to tomorrow with joy!

These
are the words that appear at the beginning of the program for the grand opening
of the Institute we have been striving to build for more than four years. Its
working title at the start was the National Research and Training Institute
for the Blind. Gradually it became clear that, because the organized blind were
responsible for bringing it into existence and imagining what it could become,
the words "National Federation of the Blind" should appear in the
title of the Institute, so we began calling it the National Federation of the
Blind Research and Training Institute. Recently, however, we began to recognize
that Dr. Jernigan's seminal role in conceiving this dream and challenging us
to fulfill it should be reflected in the Institute's title. Therefore on the
afternoon of January 30 the NFB board of directors met to establish the official
names of the Institute and two of its most important components. The National
Federation of the Blind Jernigan Institute (Jernigan Institute for short) became
the third and permanent title of the Institute. The third floor facility will
be known officially as the Jacobus tenBroek Memorial Library and Resource Center
(tenBroek Library for short). And the large, flexible space on the fourth floor
that can be divided into smaller rooms for meetings has been officially named
NFB Members Hall, or Members Hall for short.

The
grand opening celebration took place then in the tenBroek Library and Members
Hall. Some construction was still going on in the building, but guests from
Greater Baltimore arrived on the evening of January 30 at the Wells Street entrance,
where they could check their coats and use the three glass elevators to reach
the third floor for the first part of the gala event.

Federationists
had been arriving all day from across the country. They entered our complex
using the Johnson Street entrance and spent their free time in the fourth-floor
dining room, where food and friends were waiting.

[PHOTO/DESCRIPTION:
This picture shows the six doors that open from the third-floor atrium into
the tenBroek Library. The word "IMAGINE" is spelled out in three-dimensional
gold letters above the doors. Whozit can just be seen standing under the G.
On either side of the atrium are tall towers that look as if small balloons
in all the Whozit colors cover an inflated tower. In fact the balloon-like protrusions
are all just part of the tower. Through the doors the viewer can see the library
waiting for the celebration to begin.]

[PHOTO/CAPTION:
The tenBroek Library as seen from the third-floor atrium just before the celebration
began.]

As
5:30 approached, marshals took their places to direct Federation guests from
the National Center into the Institute and down the stairs to the third floor,
where they could enter the library from the atrium. As each guest entered, he
or she received a souvenir program and a wine glass. At least, the first 1,300
guests received wine glasses; well over a hundred guests found that the glasses
were gone by the time we reached the table.

Throughout
this first part of the celebration and upstairs before the program began, guests
were entertained by a number of diverse and extremely talented musicians, including
bagpiper and NFB member Craig Hedgecock, the Baltimore School for the Arts flute
ensemble, Peabody Institute artists, choirs from the Gilman and Bryn Mawr Schools,
pianist and NFB student division member Jermaine Gardner, and the Gangplank
Ragtime Band.

A
number of people took pictures during this memorable evening, but most of the
ones chosen for this report were provided by professional photographer Marc
Summerfield of Guill Photo on Reisterstown Road in Baltimore, who volunteered
his services. To enjoy them in color, read the April issue online. Go to <www.nfb.org/bralmons.htm>
and click on the April issue.

[PHOTO/CAPTION:
One of the stations where guests could sample Baltimore's most memorable dishes]

Inside
the library, twenty-eight restaurants and other food emporia of various sorts
had set up beautifully and imaginatively decorated stations, where guests could
sample everything from sushi and tiny quiches to beef tenderloin and ice cream.

[PHOTO/CAPTION:
Left to right, Steve Marriott, Allen Harris, and Fred Schroeder chat at one
of the many tables in the tenBroek Library]

Scores
of tables (covered with cloths in the Whozit colors of red, purple, blue, gold,
and white) provided places for the lucky to sit down while they enjoyed food,
drink, and conversation. Others stood, juggling their plates and cups as they
talked.

[PHOTO/CAPTION:Getting
anywhere was a challenge, and finding a particular person was nearly impossible.
Luckily people seemed to enjoy chatting with those they found themselves standing
near.]

[PHOTO/CAPTION:
Nijat Ashrafzada, son of NFB merchants division president Kevan Worley and his
wife Bridgit, enjoys meeting Edgar, one of the Ravens football team's three
mascots. Allen and Poe were not able to join us.]

[PHOTO/CAPTION:
The Orioles mascot, the Bird, leans down to talk to Katrina Beasley of Colorado,
who is not quite sure what to think of the attention.]

Among
the stations people could visit were a number where they could read about thirty
silent auction packages and bid on them. These packages fulfilled all sorts
of recreational and shopping fantasies and together raised about $14,000 for
the Jernigan Institute. In addition several exciting displays illustrated important
Federation programs and projects being rolled out by our new Institute.

[PHOTO/DESCRIPTION:
The left front quadrant of a futuristic-looking car is visible from the open
side. Visitors could sit in the driver's seat and examine the control panel.
Three podia holding explanatory information in both print and Braille are visible
in the display.]

[PHOTO/CAPTION:
To highlight the Celebration theme, Imagine a Future Full of Opportunity, guests
were encouraged to try out a concept car for the future. The car envisioned
would provide access to navigation information nonvisually, allowing a blind
driver to pilot the vehicle.]

One
of the most popular project displays was the car for the blind. Many blind people
would enjoy driving again or for the first time. The NFB Jernigan Institute
will explore the possibility of creating a car that does not require a sighted
driver.

Guests
enjoyed examining the display of Kurzweil reading machines through the years.
A video of television interviews and demonstrations of the huge original machine
played at this display. The prototype of the pocket-sized reading machine that
Ray Kurzweil's organization and the NFB will release in the relatively near
future was not actually on view, but it will be about the size of a digital
camera and will work almost anywhere. We have certainly come a long way in thirty
years.

[PHOTO/CAPTION:
Brian Buhrow examines a three-dimensional model of the crater where the Spirit
Rover has landed on Mars.]

One
of the most popular displays was the one created and staffed by the National
Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA). A twelve-foot rocket, like the
one blind students will launch this summer in Virginia, was on display. Replicas
of some of the parts of the Mars rovers were available for exploration as were
other rocket replicas.

Two
other displays represented additional Institute programs. One illustrated the
various interest centers available to seniors attending the senior fair in May.
Developing new ways to assist seniors who are losing vision is one of the program
goals of the Jernigan Institute.

The
grand opening provided the launch date for our series of distance learning courses
on the Web. Learning House, Inc., was present with a CD describing and demonstrating
the technology that will make these courses possible. The first course, aimed
at classroom teachers and neighborhood school staff members, was actually launched
that evening. It provides information and techniques for including a blind student
in a regular classroom. Interested professionals can learn more about the course
on the NFB Web site.

One
of the NFB's most successful efforts to change public attitudes about blindness
and the abilities of blind people in recent years was the NFB 2001 Everest Expedition,
in which Erik Weihenmayer and his team successfully climbed Mt. Everest using
the South Col route. We recently commissioned a renowned tactile artist, Ann
Cunningham, to commemorate that event with a work to be placed on permanent
display in the tenBroek Library. The exhibit was unveiled for the first time
publicly at the grand opening. The flag flown at the top of the world and brought
back to us by our team and the permit from the Nepal government that was signed
by the entire team were framed and incorporated as part of the display. The
rest are five panels, each three feet wide and ranging in height from two to
three feet. The subjects of the five studies are the main basecamp, the NFB
basecamp, a man crossing an ice crevasse on a horizonal ladder, Mt. Everest
itself with the NFB expedition route to the summit marked, and Erik Weihenmayer's
profile facing the mountain. The sky, clouds, and sun are made of black slate.
The sometimes smooth- and sometimes grainy-textured mountains and ground are
fashioned from white marble. The people, animals, structures, and small objects
are made of cast bronze. The route up Everest, ropes, and camp and summit markers
are made of gold, brass, silver, and steel. Viewers are encouraged to touch
the art works, albeit gently.

[PHOTO/DESCRIPTION:
Flanking the doors into the hall are two huge gold swans. The silky folds of
Whozit-colored material and bouquets of flowers on their backs are hardly visible,
but columns of balloons in Whozit colors reaching to the ceiling can be seen
on the two sides of the picture. Large blue balloons are suspended from the
ceiling with blue streamers attaching them to the walls.]

[PHOTO/CAPTION:
The entrance to NFB Members Hall before the grand opening, as seen from the
fourth-floor atrium. Jerry Lazarus of the national staff is coming out of the
hall.]

[PHOTO/DESCRIPTION:
This picture shows the length of Members Hall with the stage at the far end
flanked by very large video screens. Long parallel rows of tables covered with
red cloths and surrounded by white chairs stretch the length of the picture.]

[PHOTO/CAPTION:
NFB Members Hall before the program began]

[PHOTO/CAPTION:
A smiling Donna Hamilton at the podium]

Shortly
after seven, guests began moving to the fourth floor in preparation for the
evening's program and entertainment. As they found seats or places to lean,
the Bryn Mawr School: Dayseye sang. Then Donna Hamilton, a newswoman with WBAL-TV,
Channel 11, in Baltimore, stepped to the microphone and took charge as master
of ceremonies. She did a wonderful job of keeping things moving while at the
same time introducing those deserving recognition and welcoming each speaker
with warmth, grace, and brevity.

[PHOTO/CAPTION:
United States Senator Paul Sarbanes]

The
first speaker introduced by Donna Hamilton was Senator Paul Sarbanes of Maryland.
Senator Sarbanes called attention to the way the NFB had mobilized city, state,
and federal resources to augment the more than 18,000 individual, corporate,
and foundation contributors to bring the Jernigan Institute into being. In closing
he said:

I
had the distinct privilege and pleasure of knowing one of the National Federation
of the Blind's great leaders, a forceful advocate for causes benefitting the
blind: Dr. Kenneth Jernigan. Dr. Jernigan and his wife Mary Ellen, who is of
course with us here tonight, worked tirelessly to empower blind people in a
world that was focused almost entirely on the needs of the sighted. Dr. Jernigan
had a vision. He encouraged and enabled the blind to be active members of society
by improving their access to information, to education, to jobs, and to public
facilities.

Since
1978, when Dr. Jernigan brought the national headquarters of the NFB here to
Baltimore, our state has been a world focus for efforts to improve the status
of the blind. Dr. Jernigan and his enormously able successor, Dr. Marc Maurer,
have brought this vision to fruition here tonight. I am delighted to come tonight
to thank all of those who made this possible, to wish the Institute the very
best as it moves forward, and to say how proud we are in Baltimore and the state
of Maryland to be the headquarters of the National Federation of the Blind.
God bless you and your endeavor.

Senator
Barbara Mikulski was unable to attend the grand opening, but she sent an aide
to read her letter of greeting and congratulations. Here are its concluding
sentences:

I
am so proud of you and your commitment to self-help, self-respect, productive
employment, and an independent spirit. I applaud your work to provide improved
tools for literacy instruction and the development of modern technology for
people who cannot see. I commend your continuing and tireless efforts to make
your dreams an outstanding reality. Enjoy the fruits of your labors, and use
this success to continue to push the envelope of what is possible. I envy you
the pleasure of this evening.

[PHOTO/CAPTION:
Congressman Benjamin Cardin]

The
next speaker was Congressman Ben Cardin, who represents the district which includes
the south Federal Hill area, where the National Center is located. He pointed
with pride to the governmental/private partnership that brought the Institute
into being. He also pledged the continued support of the entire Maryland congressional
delegation, particularly the two senators and the three members of the house
of representatives who represent Baltimore, to support our efforts on behalf
of blind Americans.

[PHOTO/CAPTION:
Sean O'Keefe]

Speaking
immediately after Congressman Cardin was Sean O'Keefe, administrator of the
National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA). Here are his remarks:

Good
evening to all of you, ladies and gentlemen. I'm delighted to be here tonight
to help celebrate the National Federation of the Blind's new Research and Training
Institute. On behalf of the men and women of NASA, I salute NFB's president,
Dr. Marc Maurer, and the Institute's executive director, Dr. Betsy Zaborowski,
for this truly remarkable accomplishment.

I
join them in thanking Governor Ehrlich, Senators Sarbanes and Mikulski, Congressman
Cardin, and Mayor O'Malley (O'Malley--yes, that's a good name. I like that Irish
tone [laughter])--for their strong support for the organization which is truly,
truly a national treasure.

Joining
me tonight is a public servant who is helping energize our partnership with
the Federation and expand our opportunities at NASA for people of all abilities,
our assistant administrator for equal opportunity programs, Dr. Dorothy Hayden
Watkins.[applause] Through the NASA Defense Department Computer Electronic Accommodations
program, Dorothy is helping to promote NASA in a lot of ways in making a full
range of electronic information technology available to NASA employees with
visual, hearing, dexterity, and cognitive disabilities. We are quite proud of
this program, which we instituted about a year ago throughout the agency. Now
this past month I've been involved in some terrific events, including the landing
of our twin exploration rovers, Spirit and Opportunity. [applause]

Tonight
this is truly a special, icing-on-the-cake event. The evening is, I think, filled
with special pride because NASA and the National Federation of the Blind are
partners in an unprecedented exploration mission. Through our partnership we
are attempting to do nothing less than change forever how this community has
access to science so that young blind boys and girls will be at the head of
the pack for the next generation of explorers. This is truly an uplifting goal
for our storied agency, to achieve that mark.

I
want to illustrate what we're doing in this regard. I'd like to mention that
with us in the audience is Dr. Robert Shelton from NASA's Johnson Space Center
in Houston. [applause] Dr. Shelton is using his math and computer expertise
to help develop easy-to-use, cutting-edge technology tools that make math and
science accessible to all students, including students with disabilities. Dr.
Shelton is conducting this work through NASA's Space Enterprise, which is led
by Dr. Adena Loston from Houston. Both of you, please stand up and be recognized.
You've done some great, great work.[applause]

This
summer NASA will support the Research and Training Institute's summer science
camp for blind students. We're excited that students in grades seven through
nine will have hands-on experience at our Goddard Space Flight Center in a number
of earth science experiments that range from an exploration of soil moisture
content to bird migration patterns and temperature variations. Our Goddard director,
Dr. Al Diaz, is here with us tonight, and he deserves a great deal of credit,
singularly, I think, among all in the agency.[applause] Al, you have really
championed all of our efforts and activities to help in so many ways that are
important to all of us throughout the NASA community and certainly within the
broader community at large. We are all grateful to you for that tremendous expertise.

If
you think summer camp sounds like a lot of fun, you might be among the high-school-level
students who will learn and help develop rocket payloads at the Institute and
then launch them at our Wallops flight facility on Virginia's Eastern Shore.
That's a class that I'm not sure many of them will mind being scheduled for.
Of course, through the Research and Training Institute we will work with the
Federation to adapt NASA's educational materials for blind students in classrooms
throughout the country. One of our great projects in this regard, one that many
of you are familiar with, is the beautiful book entitled Touch the Universe:
A NASA Braille Book of Astronomy.

For
the first time, thanks to the wonderful work of Noreen Grice and Dr. Bernhard
Beck-Winchatz, this book uses stunning images obtained from the Hubble to open
up the far reaches of the universe to blind students through its imaginative
use of illustrations of stars, planets, and other heavenly bodies. For those
of you who don't know her, Noreen helps present planetarium programs at the
Boston Museum of Science. Several years ago she noticed a number of blind students
at the planetarium and asked them afterwards what they thought of the experience.
She was told in no uncertain terms that the show wasn't very fun or meaningful
to sit through. (I can't imagine that.) But like a good scientist Noreen decided
to do some further investigation into the matter.

At
the Perkins School for the Blind in Watertown, Massachusetts, she discovered
that, while there were Braille books on astronomy, none had pictures to help
the reader make sense of what was being described. She realized the planetarium
goers had no context in which to fully appreciate the astronomy program. The
librarian told her that making the Braille books with pictures was a very expensive
proposition. Recognizing that she had a tremendous opportunity to do some extraordinary
work, Noreen created a forty-four-page illustrated astronomy book called Touch
the Stars. And NASA's Bernhard Beck-Winchatz saw the book at the Alder Planetarium
in Chicago and suggested that Noreen do a Braille book on the incredible results
of the Hubble space telescope. "And the rest," as they say, "is
history."

A
most telling endorsement of that is on the back cover of Touch the Universe,
one of the best book endorsements I've ever read. It's from Dr. Kent Cullers,
the director of research and development at the SETI Institute. This is the
private group that is conducting the search for extraterrestrial intelligence.
Dr. Cullers writes, "As a radio astronomer and the world's only blind one
at that, I feel a powerful intuitive connection with the astonishing exotic
objects in the distant universe. When I touch the tactile images of the Hubble
northern deep field of galaxies in Touch the Universe, I'm overwhelmed by the
same astonishment, a sense of connection with a distant cosmos. It has often
been said that a picture is worth a thousand words. Well, for the first time
in my career, I get the picture."

At
NASA we also get the picture, and I can assure each and every one in this audience,
working with the National Federation of the Blind, we will do our utmost to
make certain the next generation of explorers will have hundreds and thousands
of blind astronomers and engineers and scientists helping to advance our exploration
horizons to heights unimagined and frontiers unknown.

We
have great work ahead, and we're determined that this community will be a vital
contributor in this work. I thank you so much for the opportunity to be with
you again, and my hearty congratulations on this extraordinary kick-off of the
NFB's Research and Training Institute.

[PHOTO/CAPTION:
Melanie Sabelhaus]

[PHOTO/CAPTION:
Bill Struever]

Melanie
Sabelhaus, community leader and philanthropist, and Bill Struever, CEO of Struever
Brothers Eccles and Rouse, Inc., cochaired this remarkable celebration, and
each spoke briefly. Melanie Sabelhaus recognized a number of those who partnered
with the NFB to make the celebration possible. Bill Struever paid tribute to
those in his construction company who have worked to build this very special
structure where people will gather to dream new dreams and bring them to fruition
for the benefit of blind people everywhere.

[PHOTO/DESCRIPTION:
Two people are seated in the audience. The young girl listens smiling to what
a very relaxed and engaged man is saying to her.

Baltimore
Mayor Martin O'Malley recognized the members of the Maryland legislature in
the audience and then reminisced about touring the Institute site before ground
was broken. He assured the crowd that all of Baltimore is proud of the Jernigan
Institute and what is being planned.

[PHOTO/CAPTION:
Courtney Despeaux]

Representing
the future generation of blind adults was twelve-year-old Courtney Despeaux.
She articulated what this Institute means for today's blind youth and brought
the crowd to its feet. This is what she said:

Governor
Ehrlich, Dr. Maurer, other guests and friends, I am proud to have the opportunity
tonight to speak for today's generation of blind youth. Dumbledore, the wise
schoolmaster from the Harry Potter books, said, "It does not do to dwell
on dreams and forget to live." I am happy that the National Federation
of the Blind not only dreams, but turns those dreams into action. This Research
and Training Institute, a dream turned into reality, now allows blind youth
like me to have even bigger dreams.

As
a girl who happens to be blind, I look forward to doing many things in my life.
I'd like to help the poor and the elderly and travel to other countries. I would
especially love to see Rome one day, and I am determined to meet the Pope. The
important thing is that I know that I can do anything. Now my future is that
much brighter because blind people who have come before me dared to dream and
worked to live out their dreams.

Speaking
for all blind youth across the country, thank you.Thanks to our blind leaders,
and thanks to all of you who have supported our dreams and helped build them.
Thanks to all of you who have come to understand that blind youth are really
just kids like anyone else. We like to run, dance, play, learn, grow, and pull
a good practical joke now and then.

Many
people ask me what I want to do when I grow up. When I think about all the blind
people just in this room here today and the possibilities that they represent,
I just can't decide. Maybe I'll join the folks at NASA in exploring new horizons;
maybe I'll be the first blind TV meteorologist; maybe I'll write the next great
series of books; or maybe I'll take Dr. Zaborowski's job when she's old. [applause]

In
the words of the Beatles' John Lennon, "You may say I'm a dreamer, but
I'm not the only one." For blind youth across America, thank you for giving
us greater opportunities and making our horizons bigger and brighter. Imagine
the opportunities. If you'll excuse me now, we need to be getting on with celebrating
the dreams of blind youth everywhere.

[PHOTO/CAPTION:
Euclid Herie]

Dr.
Euclid Herie, immediate past president of the World Blind Union, spoke briefly,
bringing greetings and congratulations from Canada. He pointed out that three
of the six WBU regional presidents (Colin Low from Europe, Kua Cheng Hok from
Asia, and himself representing Jim Sanders of this region) were present, marking
the importance of this new facility to blind people around the world. He closed
his remarks with the hope that the final legacy of the NFB's effort to create
this institute would be the pronouncement from those in generations to come
that "They built better than they knew."

[PHOTO/CAPTION:
Dr. Raymond Kurzweil]

The
next speaker was our friend and colleague Ray Kurzweil, inventor of the world's
first reading machine. This is what he said:

In
1974 I approached the National Federation of the Blind to be a partner in creating
the first reading machine. This was the start of a thirty-year relationship.

You
know, I don't have very many thirty-year relationships. I've been married only
twenty-nine years, and I don't have any relationships more successful and more
gratifying than my relationship with the National Federation of the Blind, except
for my marriage of course.

It
was a deeply meaningful experience to work with Dr. Jernigan, Jim Gashel, and
a team of blind scientists and engineers from the National Federation of the
Blind. It was only because of this unique partnership that the project achieved
the progress that it did.

The
public's understanding that blind people can do any job and contribute on terms
of equality has come a very long way in the past thirty years. And that's thanks
to the courageous and tireless efforts of Dr. Jernigan, Dr. Maurer, and all
of the devoted people of the National Federation of the Blind, many of whom
are here tonight at this wonderful celebration. So I'm working with all of you
once again to create the next generation-–a pocket-sized reading machine. And
we'll be working very closely to accomplish this.

I'm
grateful to have worked with this great organization from the early days. All
I can say is that I'm with you all the way. And thanks to the National Federation
of the Blind Research and Training Institute, the next thirty years will be
even more liberating, illuminating, and profound.

[PHOTO/CAPTION:
Betsy Zaborowski]

When
Dr. Zaborowski, the newly appointed executive director of the NFB Jernigan Institute,
came to the microphone, she had people to thank and an exciting announcement
to make. This is what she said:

Good
evening, fellow Federationists; good evening, guests and partners; thank you
all. This is a wonderful night. We the blind of America, together with our partners
and friends, launch this new Research and Training Institute built on the hopes
and dreams of all of the blind. This is a momentous occasion for all of us,
and we have lots of people to thank. We want to thank all of our members and
all of our tireless staff, who have worked so long on this project.

A
very special thanks to Senator Barbara Mikulski, Senator Paul Sarbanes, Congressman
Ben Cardin, and all of our friends in the United States Congress who led the
way towards federal funds of one million dollars for this research institute.
And a very special thanks goes to the citizens of Maryland for its 4.5 million
grant to this institute, which we believe, because of the support of our wonderful
Governor Ehrlich, will be 6 million dollars at the end of this legislative session.

There
are many, many other people to thank: Jack Busher and the Institute's policy
advisory board, for their long hours of advice and skills in helping us get
this institute off the ground. I also want to thank some very important million-dollar
campaign donors: of course the American Action Fund for Blind Children and Adults,
thank you very much for that support. Thank you to our wonderful friend, Mr.
Wally O'Dell, the chairman and CEO of Diebold, Incorporated, for that wonderful
gift. And of course our friend Stephen Marriott and the Marriott family for
being one of our one-million-dollar contributors to this campaign.

Tonight
we launch three inaugural projects of the National Federation of the Blind Jernigan
Institute. We are very proud to announce the first National Federation of the
Blind science camp in collaboration with NASA this summer. Imagine a group of
talented young blind people working with rocket scientists and blind engineers
and teachers and launching a rocket and then studying the data with nonvisual
technology.

We
are also pleased to announce that we are launching the first in a series of
online courses for teachers of the blind and parents of blind children. Imagine
online courses that improve the lives of blind people, that use our empowering
philosophy of blindness.

And
of course tonight we are very proud to say that we are working on the development
and commercialization of the first handheld reading machine. Imagine! Imagine
accessing print with a small device the size of a digital camera in a matter
of seconds. Soon we will have the Kurzweil National Federation of the Blind
Reader.

We
have worked hard. We have planned our destiny. We have dreamed big dreams, and
we are doing big things. Now, let's hear what the blind of America and our friends
say about where we go from here.

What
followed was a video specially created for this evening. It alternated discussion
by groups of blind people about their hopes and dreams for what the new Jernigan
Institute will accomplish with statements by inventor Ray Kurzweil, NASA Goddard
Space Flight Center Director Al Diaz, Rehabilitation Services Administration
Commissioner Joanne Wilson, and retired radio executive and NFB of New Mexico
President Art Schreiber. The segments were divided by Whozit tapping his cane.
The animated NFB logo provided stunningly effective transitions and continuity.
[Cassette only, Here is the sound track of the video.]

Betsy
Zaborowski: Ladies and gentlemen, we hope that you are inspired tonight and
excited about the future that we are going to build in this new institute. We
also want to talk to you about an opportunity to help us with that goal. In
your program you will find a card and envelope. We are launching the inaugural
fund for this new institute. In the next few months our goal is to raise one
million dollars toward the launching and operation of Institute programs. Over
1,300 guests are here this evening. If a thousand of you would pledge $1,000
in 2004, we will have $1,000,000. Please think about it. After this program
some of our staff and greeters will be pleased to collect your envelopes, or
you can sent them to us. This would be a wonderful way to launch this new Jernigan
Institute inaugural Imagination Fund.

Dr.
Zaborowski then introduced President Maurer who said the following words:

[PHOTO/CAPTION:
NFB President Marc Maurer]

The
number of people who have sacrificed to build the National Federation of the
Blind Research and Training Institute is outstanding, and I appreciate all of
the sacrifices. Why have we asked all of us to give so much? It is because we
believe that there are things worth knowing that we have not yet learned and
plans worth making we have not yet found the resources to create. What does
the future hold for us, and how do we believe it will be put into concrete form?
In specific details we are still exploring what it will be, but in the overall
approach this question is easy to answer.

Consider
for example the history of technology and specifically the history of the recording
of sound. Today we are in the digital age, and unless we think of something
better, it is here to stay. Can we think of something better? Perhaps we can;
only time will tell. What is the essence of digital technology? With respect
to sound, before digital recording we took a wave that represented sound and
preserved it. We pressed it into wax, rubber, or vinyl for reproduction. For
the best sound we needed to reproduce the best waveform.

Incidentally,
in the 1930's the blind encouraged the fledgling recording industry to create
recordings with more time in them than recording artists had previously known.
Extra-long recordings were needed for the reproduction of talking books. The
result was the long-play record, which the blind used for the study of literature
and the sighted used for recording concerts. Both the blind and the sighted
were happy with the outcome, and Thomas Edison's hope that his recording device
might be used to produce books for the blind came true. His application for
a patent had included as one of its uses recording literature for the blind.

Digital
recordings do not capture the entire range of the wave created by sound. They
take bits and pieces of the original and reproduce sound based on an estimate
of what it originally was. Only part of the whole is used, yet with digital
recording space is saved, transmission of files is enhanced, and manipulation
of material is faster and easier than had been true with high-fidelity recording.
Hence we are left with the paradoxical digital reality that less is more.

Blind
people have been using digital methods of comprehension by necessity from the
beginning of time, although we would not have called it by that name. For example,
when I travel with a cane, I do not have the same range of information available
that my sighted companions have. I use my cane to explore the world in a digital
fashion, taking a small bit of information here and another one there. Nevertheless,
I string these bits of information together, interpolating an image sufficient
for me to find my way from place to place. I do not get all of the information
available, but I get enough of it to do what needs to be done.

Already
we have begun the process of exploring what does not exist--one prototype of
the handheld reading machine, the Kurzweil National Federation of the Blind
Reader, is here tonight; the first in a series of courses on blindness offered
over the Internet has been created and is ready for use; the initial planning
with the National Aeronautics and Space Administration and others for the science
camp for blind students is underway; and partnerships for the creation of access
technology in thousands of other devices are being formed.

It
is fair to predict that some of the dreams we have for independence for blind
people will be achieved within a reasonably short time. The overall objective
of full integration for the blind within society on the basis of equality with
all of the training, all of the public understanding, and all of the resources
needed to accomplish this goal will demand much more effort and much more time.

As
we explore new methods of understanding, the individual experiences of blind
people must be a part of the pattern. We as a society must use the talents each
of us possesses. If we do, it will be good for the individuals involved, but
it will also serve society as a whole. Our effort today is to expand knowledge
into realms that have been previously unexplored. We will use the tools that
are available--those that we have built and those that we can gather from the
efforts of others. But of most importance in our quest for knowledge is the
spirit that we bring to the task--a spirit that longs for independence, that
seeks to be a part of the community in which we live, that yearns for our talents
to be employed in building that community.

We
know that none of us can be completely free until all of us have achieved liberty,
and we will not rest until we have found a way to give independence to us all.
Training, research, and faith: these are the elements of the National Federation
of the Blind Research and Training Institute dedicated to the blind men and
women who have helped us to know that the people who are here can create an
edifice of thought and understanding that could not exist without us.

Our
Institute is dedicated to Dr. Jacobus tenBroek, who, along with others, founded
the National Federation of the Blind in 1940 and believed in it until the day
he died in 1968. It is dedicated to Dr. Kenneth Jernigan, who worked to expand
the programs of the Federation for almost half a century and who formed the
plans for the building in which we are assembled. It is also dedicated to the
next generation, who will carry the work into the future. On this day and in
this place come together the elements that make us what we are. We remember
the people of yesterday, and we are grateful for their faith in themselves and
their belief in us; but we think of the people of tomorrow, and we pledge our
lives, our efforts, and our imagination to build for ourselves and those who
come after us a method of understanding and an approach to achievement that
will alter forever the shape of possibility for us all. With this commitment
the blind will be free, and nothing on earth can keep us from it.

[PHOTO/CAPTION:
President Maurer and Betty Woodward, president of the NFB of Connecticut, hold
up the giant check from the Connecticut affiliate that completed the NFB's five-year
capital campaign.]

Betty
Woodward, president of the NFB of Connecticut, then presented what her husband
Bruce characterized as "a check from us to us" in the amount of $107,960.72,
and she assured Dr. Maurer that he could "take it to the bank." President
Maurer accepted the check with gratitude, including the seventy-two cents, and
announced the completion of the capital campaign. He agreed with Dr. Zaborowski
on the importance of setting about to raise the funds necessary to operate the
Institute, but assured the crowd with joy filling his voice that it was "great
to finish the capital campaign tonight!"

President
Maurer then introduced the honorary chairman of the grand opening, Maryland
Governor Robert L. Ehrlich, Jr., by saying that sometimes, when politicians
move from one elective office to another, their support for particular causes
evaporates. That has not been the case with Governor Ehrlich. This is what the
governor said when the applause finally ceased.

Thank
you very much. I'm the last thing between you and the ribbon-cutting. By the
way, when one capital campaign ends, another one begins. We all know that. Trust
me, I'm in politics; I do know that. We do have a long history; you're right,
Marc. I have no idea when this relationship began--well, I have a fairly good
idea, I guess. It was when I was in the Maryland general assembly. I got to
know these folks, and I got to know their issues. We worked on issues together.

Then
it was in the Congress, where my activism grew, and our relationship grew even
stronger. Issues from Braille, to NEWSLINE, to tax issues, to capital construction,
to the workplace, to technology: our relationship grew over the years. I have
benefitted in many ways, including Kris Cox, our new secretary, who I believe
was here earlier. Kris is terrific. I got to know Kris in Congress, working
on blindness-related issues, and now Kris is a member of my cabinet. That is
neat. [applause]

I
just mentioned the word "opportunity." That's what this building and
this organization are all about--the intersection of opportunity and technology.
They are interchangeable today, which is why I am so excited about the mission
of this historic organization and this wonderful new place. I am also proud
of the state's investment of six million dollars. I'll take complete credit
for all those dollars. I'll share it with Governor Glendening, actually.

I
will close with this. I want to thank you all for being here tonight. This is
an incredibly impressive night, and I wanted to be here. But I wanted to thank
the business community. As we know, it is somewhat popular in our culture today
to beat up on business. We have lived through some of the issues on Wall Street
and some greed-related issues, and it becomes rather easy to beat up on corporate
America. Yet I attended a lunch not too long ago where corporate leaders around
Baltimore and the state of Maryland were asked to help this organization. As
is the case in this area, the corporate community always comes through. The
corporate community is always there because we have a very strong community
and a very strong history of giving from that community. So I want to thank
everybody who came through when we asked for help in our not so subtle way.

Thank
you all for being here tonight; this is a wonderful night, and Godspeed.

[PHOTO/CAPTION:
Just before the ribbon-cutting ceremony here are (left to right) Wally O’Dell,
chairman and CEO of Diebold, Inc.; Jason Polanski, a seven-year-old from Maryland;
Barbara Walker Loos, president of the American Action Fund for Blind Children
and Adults; Mary Ellen Jernigan, NFB executive director of operations; Steve
Marriott, senior vice president for culture and special events, Marriott International,
Inc.; Marc Maurer, president of the National Federation of the Blind; and Robert
L. Ehrlich, Jr., governor of the state of Maryland.]

Just
before cutting the ribbon, surrounded by representatives of the million-dollar
contributors; honorary grand opening chairman, Governor Ehrlich; Mrs. Jernigan;
and an energetic and curious blind child representing the blind of tomorrow,
President Maurer announced the board of directors' decision to name the institute
the National Federation of the Blind Jernigan Institute. He then cut the ribbon,
and with that momentous act the program ended, and the entertainment began.

The
evening concluded with an unforgettable rhythm and blues review featuring Ali
Ollie Woodson of the Temptations, the Winstons Orchestra, the Drifters, the
Platters, and Major Harris, formerly of the Delfonics, with Pat Palmer and Johnney
Smalls. These performers were not only talented musicians but truly remarkable
entertainers. They invited the audience to sing along with favorites like "Under
the Boardwalk" and "My Girl." They even got volunteers up onto
the stage to sing with them. The room was too full of chairs and tables for
anyone to have room to dance, but that was all that was missing from the show.

It
was a memorable close to a wonderful evening and a stirring beginning to the
work of the NFB Jernigan Institute. As the evening ended, we recognized that
the real challenge was just beginning. As Dr. Zaborowski wrote in the program:
"We have dreamed. We have planned. We have built. Now we devote ourselves
to a future full of Imagination."

[PHOTO/CAPTION:
The Drifters performing in Members Hall]

[PHOTO/CAPTION:
A view of the Jernigan Institute from the Byrd Street side. The fourth-floor
balcony outside Members Hall can be seen.]

[PHOTO/CAPTION:
The glass elevator shafts, the railings of each floor, the metallic ceiling,
and the glass front of the Institute can all be seen in this view taken from
the first floor, looking up.]

[PHOTO/CAPTION:
Tonia Trapp]

Speaking
of Gratitude:

Givers
of Freedom and Creators of Opportunity

by
Tonia Valletta Trapp

From
the Editor: The following speech was delivered at the New Mexico state conference
of the Association for the Education and Rehabilitation of the Blind and Visually
Impaired (AERBVI) on February 26, 2004. Tonia Trapp is president of the Albuquerque
chapter of the NFB of New Mexico. Her husband is Greg Trapp, the director of
the adult rehabilitation training center of the New Mexico Commission for the
Blind. Here is Tonia's story:

One
of the most difficult tasks we face as human beings is the challenge of developing
an honest and realistic view of who we are: our strengths, our weaknesses, our
talents, our shortfalls, our achievements. Growing up as a totally blind person
has made that challenge a little more difficult for me than it would have been
otherwise. Back in Virginia my mother has a drawer full of newspaper clippings
in which various journalists wrote that I was amazing or outstanding because
of my achievements as a blind person. Of course such notions are ridiculous,
but they do offer a useful way to introduce the question I hope to answer for
you tonight: How did I get to be who I am today?

As
I've gotten older and hopefully wiser, I have come to the realization that who
I have become has a little to do with me but has much more to do with the influences
that other people have had in my life and the many opportunities that others
have helped me to reach for. I feel an increasing wish to tell those people
how much I appreciate all that they did for me. So tonight I will indulge in
telling you about some of those people in my life. I know that each of you is
influential in the lives of blind people, so I want you to know how essential
you are and how much your influence matters.

I
will start by telling you about the people who have naturally had the most influence
on me, my parents. I became totally blind by the age of two because of bilateral
retinoblastoma. So all of a sudden my parents were plunged into a new and frightening
situation. They had to decide what to do with their blind child. At that point
my parents made the decision that has had the greatest impact on my future,
the most important decision they ever made for me. They decided that they wanted
me to live a normal life, to do and experience all the things that children
without disabilities experience. They let me explore my surroundings. They taught
me how to swim, how to run, how to ride a bicycle, and how to dance. They let
me play with neighborhood children at their houses, in the woods, and in our
swimming pool. They let me go sledding and ice skating and roller skating and
canoeing and horseback riding. They signed me up for Girl Scouts, choral society,
and summer camp.

Were
my parents taking a risk by giving me such freedom? Of course. And I did have
my share of mishaps. I remember when my parents were teaching me how to ride
a bicycle, and they took my brother and me to the empty parking lot at my elementary
school to practice. My bike did not have handbrakes; to use the brakes, you
had to pedal backwards. I remember one time I was riding my bike straight ahead,
and my dad yelled, "Brake! Brake!" but I did not respond fast enough,
so I rode straight into a chainlink fence and cut the bridge of my nose. No
big deal. Then there was the time I went to a friend's party at a roller-skating
rink. I was skating along when I lost my balance and fell. I put my right hand
down to catch myself, and I fractured my wrist.

The
most serious injury I sustained happened on the first day of practice after
I joined my school gymnastics team in the sixth grade. I was doing a move on
the uneven bars, and we had a miscommunication about the location of the crashpad,
a soft, squishy mat about eight inches thick, used to cushion landings. When
I came flying off the low-bar and landed on a much thinner mat, I had too much
momentum going, so I fell forward and put down my left hand to catch myself,
breaking my arm.

You're
probably thinking, weren't my parents afraid to let me do all those things?
Of course they were. But did they allow their fears to hold me back? Not at
all. My parents had the courage to let me live. I can never thank them enough
for that. I have many memories of happiness and fun from my childhood because
of them.

One
of the things that my mother has always done extremely well is to inspire my
curiosity about the world by encouraging me to examine things tactilely. She
would show me sculptures that were reachable in museums and as decorations outdoors.
Even today, when we go shopping, she picks up objects she thinks I would find
interesting and hands them to me. When the architecture of a building is tactile,
she points that out to me so I can enjoy it. When she came to visit me here
a few years ago, she showed me the nifty carved wood on the front door of the
Gardunos restaurant we took my family to.

In
college I had a friend who worked at a science museum, and he took me there
once for an insider's view. I particularly remember two things he showed me.
When we got to the museum, he told me to hold out my hands like a cup because
he was going to put something into them. So I did what he asked, and he poured
a bunch of fleshy things into my hands. I had no idea what they were. Then the
objects in my hands all began to wriggle and squirm like mad, and I exclaimed
to my friend, "What in the world is this?" He laughed and said that
he had just given me a handful of worms.

The
other thing I remember him showing me was a baby alligator. For some reason
I especially like alligators. My friend had to remove the baby alligator very
carefully from his domicile, using one hand to clamp the animal's mouth shut
so it could not bite. I had a fast feel over the alligator's body because my
friend had to put him back quickly. How nifty that was! I was excited to be
able to touch that alligator, even briefly.

One
of the most fabulous adventures I had in curiosity came about because of an
administrator at one of the museums in Washington, D.C., who invited me on a
personal, hands-on tour of a part of the museum not open to the public, but
reserved for older students doing scientific research. In this area nothing
was behind glass. Everything could be touched and carefully handled. I got to
see all kinds of biological things like bones, preserved animals, fossils, insects,
and lots of other cool stuff. I am sure that having my curiosity piqued in this
way had something to do with my desire to learn and to know more about the world.

Several
teachers played key roles in my development as well. One of these was my teacher
Ms. Schlosberg at Camp Adventure, the private preschool I attended in Tucson,
Arizona. Ms. Schlosberg took a special interest in me. Shortly before my family
left Arizona to move to Virginia, she gave me a doll that she had sewn together
herself. Other staff at my preschool took interest in me too. I remember them
introducing me to the trapeze and showing me how to sit and swing on one.

When
we moved to Virginia, my parents had to convince our local public school to
admit me as a kindergarten student. They did not know a lot about the Education
of All Handicapped Children Act that had been passed a few years before, so
they decided to approach the problem practically. They suggested to the principal
of my neighborhood school that I spend a day in one of their kindergarten classes
so that the teacher could observe me. That was done. My parents had taught me
my ABCs and numbers and so on, so I was able to convince the school that I was
a child with some intelligence. I was admitted as a kindergarten student, and
I attended public school from that point forward. I still remember my very first
VI teacher, Ms. Wildberger, who taught me Braille. Of all my VI teachers, I
remember her most fondly.

I
have always been a rather ambitious person. My mother remembers that, when I
was in kindergarten, I was walking along with some friends, and I turned to
them and said, "So where do you want to go to college?" Then I told
them that I was planning to go to Harvard. For a long time I thought I wanted
to be a lawyer. My VI teachers spurred me on by introducing me to blind adults
who had jobs and were supporting themselves as lawyers, radio announcers, engineers,
and so on. I was also given chances to meet with adult blind women and ask them
questions about how they did things like cooking, matching their clothes, and
shopping. Actually I seem to recall that my mother asked most of the questions
because I got bored quickly and wanted to do something else. But one way or
another, the invaluable wisdom of those blind women was passed on to me.

When
I was about ten, my VI teacher taught me how to type. I despised having to practice
typing; it was awful! But it sure came in handy later. This same teacher introduced
me to my first computer, the Apple 2-E, with a speech synthesizer called the
Echo. I even got to take a computer home one summer and play games on it. Computers
were just beginning to be popular back then, so I am very glad that my VI teachers
had the wisdom to teach me how to use them.

Some
of my classroom teachers went out of their way to nurture and encourage me too,
like my third-grade teacher Mrs. Burgess, who encouraged me to write. She also
took me to the circus for the first time. I remember my eighth-grade teacher,
Mrs. Swaim, who made sure I knew that I had great value in her eyes, and my
high school AP biology teacher Mr. Sane, who gave me individual attention to
ensure that I could participate in labs and learn as much as possible. Then
there was Dr. Aday, who taught me criminology when I took two summer classes
at my college before starting my freshman year. Dr. Aday called me a few years
later to suggest that I apply for a Truman Scholarship, which I had never heard
of before.

Because
of the support I received from all of my teachers and because of the strong
work ethic I inherited from my parents, I earned mostly A's in school, had the
privilege of attending a high school for gifted students, and eventually won
scholarships from the College of William and Mary, the Truman Foundation, the
NFB, and several other groups. Together with support from the Virginia rehabilitation
agency for the blind, those scholarships paid my way through my three-and-a-half
years of college and two years of graduate school so that, when I completed
my master's degree in social work in 1998, I had no debts to pay back. I know
that I was very blessed to be supported so generously.

I
would not want you to think that I have forgotten about my mobility teachers.
I remember my first O and M teacher, Mrs. Woolsten. She taught me how to use
my cane to travel around my elementary school and other places. Other instructors
like her taught me how to navigate busy streets, stores, and college campuses.
They taught me how to use taxis, buses, and the subway system. Thanks to them
I was never afraid to go where I wanted to by myself, whether that was Washington,
D.C., for summer internships and volunteering or Williamsburg for college or
Chapel Hill for graduate school or Europe for swimming competitions.

Speaking
of swimming, let me tell you about the people who helped me become an athlete.
My first and most favorite sport is gymnastics. My mom likes to tell how she
knew early on that I would be athletic. When she was pregnant with me, she sometimes
felt my little fingers grasping her ribs as though I were trying to climb them
like a ladder. She tells this other story about how, when I was about three,
I was standing on a stool in the kitchen. Mom looked away for a second, and
when she looked back, she was just in time to see me leap from the stool and
do a flip, landing upright on the floor. So my parents put me into gymnastics
lessons in my preschool years in Arizona.

Then
we moved to Virginia, and I began elementary school. Sometime during my first
two or three years there, my PE teacher Mrs. Hurst, noticed that I greatly enjoyed
swinging around on the playground equipment. She wanted to encourage my athletic
ability, and she wanted me to be safe, so she suggested to my parents that I
stay after school sometimes so that she could teach me more gymnastics. When
she had taught me all she could, my parents took me to a private gymnastics
club run by Mr. and Mrs. Roltsch, who had never worked with a blind child before.
They decided to give me a test run to see what I could do and to see if I would
be fearful or timid as an athlete. They soon learned that the answer was "no,"
so they took me on as a pupil.

My
gymnastics teachers came up with some creative and useful ways of teaching me.
To show me how to do a cartwheel, they used a doll to demonstrate what the movement
should look like, which worked very well. It would have been difficult to grasp
the concept without such a tactile model. Then when I needed to learn how to
do cartwheels in a straight line, my coaches showed me a crack where two mats
joined, and they told me to practice doing the cartwheels along that crack in
the mats.

My
favorite gymnastics event was the uneven bars. To show me how to do certain
moves on the bars, my coach would call over one of the more experienced gymnasts
and ask her to do that move. He would stop her at strategic points during the
move and ask me to feel the position of her body so I could see what I needed
to be doing.

The
last creative teaching method I will tell you about had to do with my floor-exercise
routine. I needed to follow a particular geometric pattern as I did the routine.
In one of my routines part of the pattern involved making ninety-degree turns
and moving along the square area of the spring-floor, which was no problem.
But at one point I needed to move on the diagonal. To facilitate that, my coaches
put the tape recorder that played the music for my routine at a particular corner
of the spring floor so that I could move toward the music and thereby cross
the floor diagonally. This method, like all the others, worked quite well.

I
competed in gymnastics with my sighted peers, where I did especially well on
the uneven bars. In the spring of 1985 I went to my first United States Association
for Blind Athletes (USABA) national competition for blind gymnasts in Trenton,
New Jersey, where I won four gold medals and one silver.

But
when I broke my arm in the sixth grade just after joining the school gymnastics
team, I faced a new challenge. Of course I had to give up gymnastics long enough
for my arm to heal. Then I resumed my private gymnastics lessons. My coach took
me to the uneven bars and asked me to do a move very similar to the one I had
been doing at school when I broke my arm. The move was called a soul circle.
It involved swinging around the low bar and letting go of the bar to land on
the mat. I was afraid to do what my coach asked. I would perch on the low bar,
do a preparatory movement that would set me up for the soul circle, then stop.
I repeated that sequence over and over, too afraid to follow through. My coach
waited patiently, lesson after lesson. He knew I was afraid, but he kept asking
me to do the soul circle. He understood that it was crucial that I conquer my
fear. And eventually I did. And I continued to compete as a gymnast.

In
the spring of 1987, when I came here to Albuquerque to compete again as a blind
gymnast in the USABA games, the coach of the national blind swim team happened
to see me perform. He approached my parents and explained that, if I were interested
in becoming a competitive swimmer, I could compete, not just nationally, but
internationally as a blind athlete. So I decided in the seventh grade to take
swimming lessons. Then, when I was in the eighth grade, my swim coach decided
it was time for more serious training to bring me up to the level where I could
join a sighted swim team and compete at that level. During that year I had three
swim coaches, who worked with me to get me into shape.

I
joined a sighted swim team, and in the spring of 1988 I swam in the USABA games
in Indianapolis, where I set six national swimming records and was picked to
be on the national blind swimming team going to Seoul, Korea, that fall for
the Paralympic Games. For those of you who may not know, the Paralympics is
the Olympics for the physically disabled, including people with vision impairments
and various kinds of paralysis. At age fourteen I was the youngest American
athlete to go to Seoul that year, which was a bit daunting. I was fortunate
to be a member of two relay teams that set world records and won gold medals
for two swimming events in Korea. Over the next two years I got to go to Holland,
England, and France to compete in other competitions for blind swimmers. I also
competed as a part of several sighted swim teams, including my high school team.

Now
I have told you about some of the people who have been critical to my accomplishments.
But I would be remiss if I did not tell you that I could not have come this
far without God in my life. God has always sent me encouragers when I needed
them most, people who poured their kindness and strength into me so that I could
keep up a good fight and keep pressing forward. It would take me a long time
to list all of the encouragers who have helped me along the way.

I
have much to be grateful for: a wonderful husband and a very happy marriage,
good friends; a job I enjoy; a comfortable, cozy house that I like to come home
to; and groups and activities that I enjoy participating in. In a nutshell,
I am living the kind of life that my parents envisioned for me long ago. But
that does not make me amazing. All my accomplishments do not make me amazing.
I am a person with some intelligence, some athletic ability, some tenacity,
and some courage. But my abilities would have lain dormant and untapped if my
parents, teachers, friends, and other people had not actively created opportunities
for me to excel.

You
too can be a creator of opportunity for a blind child or a blind adult. You
can see the boundless potential that blind people have, and you have the power
to harness that potential and channel it into great and small accomplishments.
I could not have achieved all that I have without the help of many people just
like you. You can help shape the lives of blind people into the exquisite works
of art they were meant to become. I challenge you to use every such opportunity
that you can find.

[PHOTO/CAPTION:
World of Coca-Cola]

Structured
Discovery of Atlanta

by
Anil Lewis

From
the Editor: This issue has lots of information about the upcoming convention.
If you have any time left over while you are in Atlanta, you will want to keep
the information in the following article in mind:

In
last month's Braille Monitor we listed the tours that will be coordinated by
the Georgia affiliate to allow conventioneers to take proper advantage of their
limited free time while here in Atlanta. We will provide point-to-point assistance
and make every effort to ensure that you enjoy yourself. The tours have been
designed to allow for the comfort of those wishing to be exposed to key sites
of the city. However, I realize some people will want to capitalize on their
travel skills and self-confidence to explore our city on their own terms. The
rest of this article gives some suggestions to conventioneers who wish to explore
our wonderful city using the structured-discovery method. I will provide the
name, a brief description, and a contact number for you to get information to
plan your trip. Here are a few of the must-see places:

Atlanta
Symphony Orchestra and Chastain Park Amphitheatre

The
Classic Chastain series features musicians and the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra
performing at Chastain Park Amphitheatre while guests dine by moonlight. The
Symphony, led by music director Robert Spano and principal guest conductor Donald
Runnicles, also presents a series of concerts at parks and churches, in addition
to the regular season at Symphony Hall in the Woodruff Arts Center (404) 733-5000.

Atlanta
University Center and the Herndon Home

The
Vine City area of Atlanta holds the country's largest concentration of African-American
colleges, dating back to the post-Civil War era: Clark Atlanta University, Interdenominational
Theological Center, Morehouse, Morehouse School of Medicine, and Morris Brown
and Spelman Colleges. The 1910 Herndon Home, built by Atlanta Life Insurance
founder Alonzo Herndon, is nearby and is a National Historic Landmark (404)
581-9813.

Atlanta
Walking Tours

A
multitude of tours is available for visitors, from historic neighborhoods to
prominent buildings. The Atlanta Preservation Center offers guided walking tours
of neighborhoods such as Ansley Park, a 230-acre residential district developed
in 1904; Druid Hills, where you will find the home used in Driving Miss Daisy;
Grant Park, with the antebellum Grant Mansion and beautiful park; Inman Park,
one of Atlanta's first garden suburbs; and historic downtown (404) 688-3350.

Centennial
Olympic Park

This
twenty-one-acre site was one of the most popular spots in the city during the
1996 Centennial Olympic Games. Today year-round programming featuring concerts,
family activities, and artists' markets make the park a gathering place for
Atlantans and visitors alike. The park features the world's largest Olympic
Ring fountain (404) 222-PARK.

Center
for Puppetry Arts

This
is the largest organization in North America dedicated to the art of puppetry.
The center offers performances from the Family Series for everyone and New Directions
for adults. An interactive museum, Puppets: The Power of Wonder, is the largest
puppetry museum in the United States (404) 873-3391.

Chateau
Elan Winery and Resort

This
sixteenth-century-styled French retreat about thirty minutes north of Atlanta
has a festive atmosphere that encourages guests to tour the vineyards, visit
the winery, lunch at a sidewalk café, and play a round of golf. Visitors to
this 3,100-acre facility can also enjoy treatments at the spa. Resort (770)
932-0900, spa (770) 271-6064.

CNN
Studio Tours

Even
if you're not a top news anchor, you can still get in on all of the action of
TV newsmaking at the headquarters of CNN and Headline News. The tour includes
the Control Room Theater, a look at CNN Español, the workings of the special
effects studio, and the main newsroom (404) 827-2300, (877) CNN-TOUR.

Find
Theater at Its Best

Atlanta
has one of the most active theater communities in the United States, with more
than sixty-five active performing groups. The Alliance Theatre Company, (404)
733-5000, and the Horizon Theatre Company, (404) 523-1477, are known for presenting
contemporary plays. Other local theaters present a variety of new and old works,
musicals, and other favorites like Theater Emory, (404) 727-0524; Theatrical
Outfit at the Rialto Center for the Performing Arts, (404) 651-4727; 7 Stages,
(404) 523-7647; Neighborhood Playhouse, (404) 523-3141; and Theater Gael, dedicated
to the Celtic cultural traditions of Ireland, Scotland, and Wales, (404) 876-1138.

Jimmy
Carter Library and Museum

Visitors
to the facility dedicated to the work of former U.S. President and Georgia native
Jimmy Carter can enjoy a walk through the natural surroundings in the Japanese
garden or learn from the memorabilia in the library and a variety of traveling
exhibitions (404) 331-3942.

SciTrek:
Georgia's Technology Adventure

Since
1988 this museum has helped people of all ages explore, understand, and appreciate
the wonders of science, mathematics, and technology. SciTrek allows visitors
to explore the principles of science and math through traveling exhibits like
"BRAIN, The World Inside Your Head," and interactive displays that
allow guests to lift a car engine with one hand or hear someone whisper from
eighty feet away (404) 522-5500.

Shop
till You Drop

A
visit to Atlanta is not complete without at least one day of shopping. Products
from around the world can be found at Atlanta's many shopping venues, including
the elegant Phipps Plaza or lavish Lenox Square. Travel a short distance out
of the city to find gigantic malls such as the Mall of Georgia and Discover
Mills (404) 222-6688.

Underground
Atlanta

Six
city blocks in the heart of downtown Atlanta have been transformed into a spirited
urban marketplace featuring twelve spectacular restaurants, over a hundred specialty
stores, and entertainment emporiums, as well as street-cart merchants (404)
523-2311.

The
Varsity

As
the world's largest drive-in, this fast-food eatery near Georgia Tech has been
a longtime hangout for college students and Atlantans from all sectors of society.
Founded in 1928, it has become famous over the years for its red-shirted servers
who use their own special language to belt out orders (404) 881-1706.

William
Breman Jewish Heritage Museum

Through
its exhibitions, publications, and resources, this museum of the Atlanta Jewish
Federation explores Jewish heritage in general and relates to other cultures
and religions. It contains two permanent galleries and hosts special rotating
exhibits year-round (404) 873-1661.

The
Woodruff Arts Center

This
midtown showpiece is the heartbeat of Atlanta's thriving arts community, housing
the Alliance Theater Company, Atlanta College of Art, Atlanta Symphony Orchestra,
and the High Museum of Art (404) 221-1270.

World
of Coca-Cola

More
than one million people visit this attraction annually to learn about the world's
most popular soft drink through memorabilia, video presentations, and displays.
Included is a recreation of a 1930's soda fountain and the "Everything
Coca-Cola" retail store (404) 676-5151.

Zoo
Atlanta

Located
just minutes from downtown Atlanta in historic Grant Park, the zoo features
250 species of animals from all over the world living in naturalistic habitats.
Some unusual creatures to seek include a pair of giant pandas from China, the
Sumatran orangutans, western lowland gorillas, and black rhinos (404) 624-5600.

The
information provided here was taken from the Web site of the Atlanta Convention
and Visitors Bureau, listing fifty fun things to do in Atlanta. For the complete
list and descriptions visit <http://www.atlanta.net/50funthings/>. We
will have copies of the entire brochure at the Georgia information table during
convention. I must admit, in putting this article together, I found some sites
I have yet to visit. I can hardly wait until you all arrive. Maybe we can enjoy
a few of them together.

Remember,
you can still take advantage of one of our planned tours. The tours are $25
for adults and $15 for children under thirteen (except for Agatha's Dinner Theater,
which is $45 for adults only). Remember checks or money orders for the tours
should be made payable to the NFB of Georgia and mailed to the Georgia Affiliate
at NFB of Georgia, P.O. Box 56859, Atlanta, Georgia 30343. Payment should include
a note explaining which tours are being ordered and the number of adult and
children's tickets requested.

[PHOTO/CAPTION:
Terri Uttermohlen]

Diving

by
Terri Uttermohlen

From
the Editor: This charming story will make you yearn for Caribbean islands and
tropical breezes. It appeared in To Reach for the Stars, the twenty-fifth in
the Kernel Book series of paperbacks we publish to educate the public about
blindness. It begins with President Maurer's introduction:

When
Terri Uttermohlen considered the possibility of fulfilling her long-held dream
of diving in the sea, her blindness was not what she feared. What she worried
about was whether she would find an instructor willing to work with her. Here
is the delightful story of her adventure:

Jacques
Cousteau, the French oceanographer and inventor of the Aqua-Lung, has always
been a hero of mine. When I was a kid, I used to dive vicariously by watching
him on television. The fish and other sea life brought to me by his camera fascinated
me.

I
also admired the younger French divers as they fell backwards into the sea--clad
in wetsuits, masks, fins, and tanks. It seemed like magic to me to be able to
enter another world so close, and yet so different, from the one inhabited by
those of us dependent on air for our survival.

It
may not surprise you then to find that I wanted to try diving on a recent trip
to a small island in the Caribbean on my belated honeymoon. My husband Jim and
I planned the trip for months. Though we had both traveled out of the country
several times before, it would be our first trip alone together. Jim and I are
blind, a circumstance that led us to some unusual speculation about how we would
be received and what techniques we would use to maximize the freedom and pleasure
we would have on our trip.

After
much Internet research, planning, shopping, and contemplation, we still had
many questions as we took off from the Madison, Wisconsin, airport. Would our
inadequate French be enough to help us get around? Should we carry our canes
in the water the first time we went in? Did we have enough money for all of
the shopping and fine dining we were hoping to do? Would dive shops freak out
at the idea of a blind person wanting to dive in the sea?

We
had been on the island for two days when I ran into Sebastian, a small man from
Paris who ran the activities desk at our hotel. "Is there any way I can
help you with water sports?" he asked us after pointing out a bench for
us to rest on while waiting for our tour guide.

"I
would like to scuba dive," I said boldly, anticipating an argument.

Instead
he responded, surprised but willing, "I can help you arrange that."

Reassured
that this dream might be realized, I told him that I would call the dive shop
later to set something up.

On
Tuesday I stood nervously in front of the activities desk wearing a sarong,
my swimsuit, a hat, and enough sunscreen to grease a car. My transportation
to the dive shop arrived, and we were introduced. Mark, my instructor, drove
us across the island, over a steep, poorly graded road to the hotel that housed
the dive shop. We conversed a little on the way. His English was fairly good,
and he seemed only a little nervous about my blindness.

When
we arrived at the pool, Mark showed me the fins, mask, regulator, and tank.
He was a good instructor and explained step by step what he wanted me to do.
He held my hand and said I should squeeze his hand twice if I was having a problem
and once if I was okay. He taught me how to inflate my tank vest using a valve
to control buoyancy.

The
first time into the pool he had me simply place my face in the water and breathe
through the regulator. Since I made it around the pool a couple of times successfully
doing that, he guided me deeper and deeper until we touched the bottom of the
pool.

Finally
he asked me to sit on the bottom. My only challenge was, being well blessed
by Mother Nature and an abundance of fine Wisconsin cheese in my diet, I had
trouble swimming below the surface. Some weights solved that problem, and I
soon sat cross-legged on the bottom until Mark signaled me to rise. Lesson over,
Mark said that we could dive the next afternoon in the sea. I was pleased to
have passed the test and even more pleased that he had relaxed considerably
with me.

The
next afternoon I stood on the warm boards of the marina, trying to squeeze my
ample Midwestern flesh into a wetsuit. I succeeded in stuffing myself into my
new skin and handed Mark all of my land clothes for safekeeping. I reached for
my cane and discovered it had taken a walk with the curious eight-year-old son
of the dive shop owner while I was occupied with the wetsuit. It was quickly
retrieved. Finally equipped for my adventure, I clambered into the boat.

The
tropical sun beat upon me as I rested on the bench at the back of the boat.
I was the only American on board. As the dive boat moved into the harbor, its
roundly inflated sides pulsing with the impact of the waves, I sat and listened
to the French-speaking voices around me. Was I really there? I felt as if I
had been transported into the Jacques Cousteau films I used to watch on TV.
I sat hoping that I would enter the water before the commercial break.

The
ride to the dive spot was brief. Mark and I waited on the boat while the other
divers and their instructor made their splashes into and under the waves. While
I waited my turn, I let the French conversation between Mark and the mother
of a particularly young diver pour over me like sun-warmed wine. I could understand
only a bit and instead focused my drowsy mind on imagining the scene around
me.

Eventually
the others returned, and I donned the fins, re-zipped the sausage wrapping,
put the mask on, and jumped off the side of the boat into the warm Caribbean.
Mark swam to me and helped me put on the tank and the weights.

Because
of the wetsuit, the weights had to be very tight on me before they would stay
where they were intended. The first attempt had them sliding almost immediately
to encircle my thighs. Since I had no aspiration to emulate the swimming style
of a mermaid, I suggested that we try again. After much giggling on my part,
we finally successfully put them around my waist.

Being
cautious, Mark repeated the exercise of the pool. First we swam around the boat
with my face in the water, making sure I was comfortable breathing through the
regulator. I reassured Mark several times by squeezing his hand once in response
to his questioning squeeze that I was okay. I was far better than okay, but
we hadn't worked out a signal for "wow!" Eventually we began to descend
in the water.

My
first impression of the dive was Mark's reassuring hand in mine, the bubble
of my breath rising from around my face, and the sun-warmed water surrounding
me. We slowly descended to the bottom. As we swam, I ran my hands along the
surface of the coarse sand of shell fragments. I hoped that Mark would warn
me if I were about to grab one of the Caribbean's less friendly residents.

As
we swam, Mark would tap my right arm when he wanted to guide my hand to show
me things. I touched rocks bearded with algae, a tiny closed clam, and a conch
shell that I believe still encased the conch. I saw sea plants that looked like
firmly planted garden weeds and beautiful slime-oozing strands of tall sponges
shaped like kielbasa. Mark placed my hands on coral, stubby sponges, and sea
fans. One type of sea fan made of fuzzy finger-wide tendrils seemed to pull
itself away from my touch. Another type had wide, rigid leaves that didn't move
at all.

I
was amazed when I touched coral. This variety was a hard globe with a pattern
of lines and swirls incised into the surface. After touching the coral, my arm
began to burn. I pointed to it, but of course Mark was unable to explain at
the time that it was fire coral. Instead, he squeezed my hand to ask, "Are
you all right?" Since the burning was minor, I squeezed back reassurance,
and we swam on.

Finally
I noticed that my tank was emptying of air. My throat was dry from the regulator,
and I knew my time under the sea was almost over. Mark gave the signal, and
we arose. On the surface of the water Mark told me that he had been surprised
a moment before by a three-foot-long Great Barracuda. The fish barely noticed
us and swam peaceably around ten meters from us. Mark had forgotten that I wouldn't
see it and was momentarily afraid that I would panic. Had I sensed fear from
him, I might have been afraid, but my trust by then was absolute.

We
swam back the short distance to the boat. Mark removed my tank and handed it
and my weights to the other instructor. I handed up my goggles and asked if
I should remove the fins. Mark responded, "As you like."

Next
came the least graceful moment of the excursion. As I said earlier, I was stuffed
into the wetsuit. The boat was round, rubber, wet, and about four feet above
the water. There was no ladder or rope to hold onto. In my younger days it would
have been relatively easy to pull myself up onto the boat. These are not my
younger days, however, and years of heavy computer use have left my hands and
arms weak.

I
stretched my arms up to grasp the upper side of the boat. Helpful hands pulled
on me like a Thanksgiving wishbone. Mark pushed from below. I was laughing and
out of breath, so I could not explain that the men pulling on my arms were making
it impossible for me to help myself get into the boat. After much pulling, pushing,
squealing, and laughter on the part of the slim Europeans who surrounded me,
I was finally able to say, "Let me try." Thus I finally flopped aboard,
relieved and a little embarrassed.

As
we made the short bouncy trip back to the marina, Mark handed me a small, beautiful
snail shell. Of all of the shells I had examined when diving, this was the most
perfectly formed. He presented it to me as a keepsake. I inquired to make sure
that no one was occupying the shell. I didn't like the idea of evicting a small
creature from the water. Nor did I relish the possibility of that same creature
emerging into my hand to register its complaint at the rude treatment.

I
could not express my thanks to Mark for understanding and respecting my desire
to experience the sea. He said that he had really enjoyed the experience. After
we arrived at the dock, Mark helped me peel off the wetsuit. (Without his aid
I would have needed a shoehorn and about a quart of WD-40.) I threw my clothes
on over my swim gear, and we drove back to my hotel. When I returned, I found
Jim contentedly sunning himself on the beach.

The
rest of our honeymoon trip was wonderful--romantic and sun-filled. We arrived
home after an endless day of cancelled flights and plane malfunctions. As soon
as we arrived, we unpacked to ensure that everything had traveled safely. In
the bottom of one of the suitcases I found the perfectly formed, delicate, gray-and-white
shell. I marveled at the beauty of the shell and the fact that I had finally
lived that long-held dream of being under the sea.

Thank
you, Jacques. Now you are even more my hero.

Clarification
of Tiger Braille Embosser Review

In
the February 2004 issue of the Braille Monitor, we published an article about
Tiger Braille embossers manufactured by Viewplus Technology. The review included
extended verbatim excerpts from the manufacturer's advertising material. Because
of this, a casual reading of the article could have led to the impression that
we endorse categorically the statements contained in the advertising material.

Technology
reviews performed at the International Braille and Technology Center of the
National Federation of the Blind will contain our findings of the performance
of products under review. In most circumstances we will not incorporate into
our reviews extended quotations of advertising materials.

The
National Federation of the Blind International Braille and Technology Center
exists to help consumers learn about equipment available to provide access to
information. It is also used to provide training in the operation of access
technology and to stimulate the development of additional equipment that is
needed. In performing technology reviews, we seek the objective of an unbiased
evaluation of hardware and software based upon the performance of these products.

[PHOTO/CAPTION:
Anil Lewis]

Profile
of the Newest National Board Member

From
the Editor: In April of 2003 we published the then current version of "Who
Are the Blind Who Lead the Blind." Two months later, at the national convention
Anil Lewis was elected to the board of directors. The following is a profile
of this newest member of the national board. It also appears on our Web site
as part of "Who Are the Blind," which you can consult or download
at any time.

Anil
Lewis

Counselor,
Advocate, and Father

Anil
Lewis was born in 1964 in Atlanta, Georgia. He is the third of four children.
Both his older brother and older sister became legally blind at an early age
from retinitis pigmentosa. Lewis was originally labeled educably mentally retarded
but eventually became the first member of his family to attend a four-year college.
He has excelled academically, received many awards, participated as a leader
in many extracurricular activities, and received several college scholarships.
Although he was finally diagnosed at age nine with retinitis pigmentosa, his
vision was fairly unaffected until age twenty-five.

As
a sighted man he fairly easily found respectable employment with wages high
above the minimum wage. Then, in 1989, while pursuing his bachelor's of business
administration in computer information systems at Georgia State University,
he became blind from retinitis pigmentosa. "All of a sudden doors that
had been open to me slammed shut." At that point, although he had always
considered himself socially aware, he became personally acquainted with actual
social injustice and discrimination. "I am ashamed that only personal experience
brought this awakening and decision to take action. But I am proud that I did
take action and remain committed today to making a difference in the lives of
others."

Lewis
received blindness skills training while completing his course requirements
for his BBA at GSU. He quickly learned the alternative skills of blindness,
including Braille, activities of daily living, assistive technology, and use
of the white cane, and capitalized on them to graduate from Georgia State with
his BBA in 1993. "It was a struggle to regain the life that blindness had
appeared to take from me. Almost everyone who had once respected me now pitied
me, but I was determined not to be redefined by my blindness." Armed with
these new skills and this new determination, he quickly became committed to
ensuring that others in similar situations could get appropriate training and
unlimited opportunities.

Lewis
got a job as a Braille and assistive technology instructor. Within a year he
was given the greater responsibility of job development/placement specialist,
helping clients develop employment skills and get jobs. "I had no experience
helping anyone other than myself get a job. I certainly did not have expertise
in job placement for blind people." It was during this time that he first
became aware of the National Federation of the Blind. A friend referred him
to the NFB when he had questions about Social Security work incentives and needed
information about tools and strategies to help blind people obtain employment.
As a result he attended his first NFB convention in Chicago, Illinois, in 1992
and became aware of the empowering philosophy and tremendous resource of the
National Federation of the Blind. The technical assistance materials produced
by the NFB's Job Opportunities for the Blind (JOB) program and the NFB's Social
Security technical assistance information provided resources enabling him to
motivate, educate, and encourage other blind people to achieve successful gainful
employment. "My success as a job placement specialist was a direct result
of my ability to infuse NFB philosophy into the clients I worked with."
Lewis went on to develop and manage a job placement program for people with
disabilities as the manager of the Disability Employment Initiative with Randstad
Staffing, one of the largest employment staffing companies in the world, during
the Atlanta Olympic and Paralympic Games in 1996. He is currently employed by
the law offices of Martin and Jones as the Georgia Client Assistance Program
(CAP) counselor/advocate, advocating for people with disabilities every day.

He
became president of the Atlanta Metropolitan Chapter of the NFB of Georgia in
2000 and was elected president of the NFB of Georgia in 2002. In that year he
also received the Kenneth Jernigan Memorial Scholarship, the NFB's most prestigious
award presented to a blind student, which he used to obtain his master's degree
in public administration with emphasis in policy analysis and program evaluation
from GSU in 2003. In that year he was also elected as a member of the National
Federation of the Blind board of directors. He received an Outstanding Alumnus
award from GSU and was also a 2003 GSU Torch Bearer of Peace Award recipient.

Lewis
has dedicated his leadership skills to the development and growth of disability
rights organizations that promote independence and improved quality of life.
He was appointed by the governor as a board member and is the current president
of the Statewide Independent Living Council (SILC) of Georgia, an organization
promoting independent living for those with severe disabilities. He also serves
as chairman of the board of directors of the Disability Law and Policy Center
(DLPC) of Georgia, which uses a variety of methods to influence and enforce
disability policy. All of these organizations recognize that people with disabilities
are integral, necessary members of society and reflect the world's normal diversity.
Further, each works to ensure that the policies and programs developed for people
with disabilities are created and implemented by people with disabilities. By
helping to develop and strengthen such institutions to serve as a cornerstone
in protecting the rights of people with disabilities, he hopes to secure the
commitment and support of others. He also hopes to reduce the barriers disabled
people face by encouraging the implementation of public policy securing the
rights and promoting the responsible participation of people with disabilities
as productive citizens.

Lewis
volunteers as a teacher and mentor for blind kids, working with promising blind
students who, because of limited resources and lack of trained professionals
to teach them, are inappropriately encouraged to pursue special education diplomas.
He wants blind students to set higher goals for themselves and to receive the
training and tools they need to acquire the skills to reach their full potential.

Speaking
of his personal life, Anil Lewis says that his proudest accomplishment is his
bright, ambitious son Amari, born in 1997. Balancing his many civic responsibilities
with his personal life as a father is undoubtedly his greatest challenge. His
greatest success, he thinks, has been overcoming the temptation to subside into
becoming an unmotivated, self-pitying person with a disability. He thinks his
greatest contribution so far has been to encourage other people with disabilities
to believe in themselves and to understand that they can make a difference.

Lewis
says that lack of awareness of individuals with traits outside society's accepted
norms promotes extreme ignorance, which in turn results in unjustified fear,
negative stereotypes, and discrimination. In an effort to combat that ignorance,
he aggressively recruits, refers, and supports other like-minded people to become
active in the National Federation of the Blind and other organizations in the
disability rights movement. He hopes to promote social change by fostering the
active participation of more people with disabilities in every facet of society,
thereby replacing ignorance with understanding, fear with awareness, and negative
stereotypes with mutual understanding. In the process he believes that we will
eliminate discrimination.

"With
a working knowledge of most disability law and policy and extended experience
in advocating for the rights of others, I am committed to improving the quality
of life for all people with disabilities by working to remove the barriers of
ignorance while creating equal opportunities for all. My personal mission is
simple: I want to make a difference in the lives of others."

Have
you considered leaving a gift to the National Federation of the Blind in your
will? By preparing a will now, you can assure that those administering your
estate will avoid unnecessary delays, legal complications, and substantial tax
costs. A will is a common device used to leave a substantial gift to charity.
A gift in your will to the NFB can be of any size and will be used to help blind
people. Here are some useful hints in preparing your will:

•
Make a list of everything you want to leave (your estate).

•
Decide how and to whom you want to leave these assets.

•
Consult an attorney (one you know or one we can help you find).

•
Make certain you thoroughly understand your will before you sign it.

For
more information contact the National Federation of the Blind, Special Gifts,
1800 Johnson Street, Baltimore, Maryland 21230-4998, (410) 659-9314, fax (410)
685-5653.

From
the Editor: Curtis Willoughby is a member of the NFB's Research and Development
Committee and head of our Ham Radio Interest Group. Here is his announcement:

Again
this year at national convention we will offer special arrangements for severely
hearing

impaired
people attending convention sessions and the banquet. This will consist of transmission
of the public address system signal over a special short-range radio transmitter
for the severely hearing impaired. Also Spanish-language translation of convention
proceedings will be provided using a similar arrangement. The special receivers
required for these services will also be provided.

In
cooperation with several state affiliates (notably Colorado, Louisiana, Ohio,
Utah, and Virginia), the NFB will provide receivers for these special transmissions
to those needing them. The receiver-lending will be managed by the Ham Radio
Group and will be operated from a table just outside the meeting room. A deposit
of $25, cash only, will be required of anyone wishing to check out one of the
Federation's receivers. The deposit will be returned if the receiver is checked
in at the check-out table in good condition by adjournment or within thirty
minutes following adjournment of the last convention session.

Batteries
for the receiver will be provided. Anyone checking out a Federation receiver
will be given, upon request, a miniature earbud-type earphone to use with the
receiver.

Along
with explaining what will be available, it is important that we explain what
will not be available. The miniature earbud loudspeaker-type earphone will be
the only kind of earphone offered. The receiver requires a 1/8-inch earphone
plug, in case you want to use your own earphone(s), neck loop, adapter cable,
etc. You are advised to arrange for such things well ahead of arriving at the
convention. Other than the earphone jack on the receiver, no means of connection
to a hearing aid will be available from the check-out table. The receiver does
not have a built-in loudspeaker. While earphones, and even neck loops, are sometimes
available in the exhibit room, you cannot be certain of getting one there.

Many
severely hearing-impaired people already use radio systems that employ FM radio
signals to carry the voice from a transmitter held by the person speaking, to
a receiver in the hearing aid. Many such hearing aid systems can be tuned to
receive the Federation's special transmitters. In this case the hearing-impaired
person may simply tune his or her own receiver to receive the Federation's transmitter
and will not need to check out a Federation receiver.

Some
audiologists and rehabilitation agencies are now buying digital and other FM
hearing aids that cannot be tuned to the Federation's frequency. If you have
one of these or if you have any other type of hearing aid, you should obtain
from your audiologist an adapter cable to connect from your hearing aid to a
monaural 1/8-inch earphone jack. This will allow you to plug the cable from
your hearing aid directly into a receiver you check out from our table. This
will allow you to hear as well as anyone else using one of our receivers.

The
transmitter for the hearing impaired will be connected to the public address
system so that the signals from the head table and the aisle microphones will
be transmitted on channel 36 (74.775 MHz narrow band FM). (People must not operate
their personal transmitters on channel 36 or on channel 38, because that would
interfere with the reception by others.) This means that folks wishing to use
their own receivers (rather than checking out one of the Federation's receivers)
need to have their personal receivers arranged so that they can switch between
their personal channels and channel 36. Some people may need to purchase replacement
or additional receivers. Warn your audiologist that there is more than one channel
36, so he or she must also verify that the frequency selected matches our frequency.

This
announcement is printed now to allow as much time as possible for those interested
to make the necessary arrangements before convention. It contains this amount
of detail so that any audiologist who works with this type of equipment should
be able to know by reading this article exactly what capabilities a person's
FM hearing system must have to work with the Federation's system at convention.

Even
if you do not use an FM hearing aid, you may be able to purchase a neck loop
or an adapter cable to couple the signal from a Federation receiver directly
to your hearing aid. Your audiologist should also be able to help you with this.

The
service for Spanish speakers will be similar, except that a live Spanish translator
will speak over a separate transmitter on channel 38 (75.275 MHz narrow band
FM). We do not expect that people will bring their own receivers for the Spanish
translation service, unless they are also hearing-impaired and use an FM hearing
aid system.

Norm
Gardner from Utah will be coordinating the Spanish language interpreters, and
he would appreciate hearing from anyone willing to volunteer to interpret. Please
call him prior to convention at (801) 224-6969, or send him email at <norm@brlcenter.org>.

Finally,
if other state affiliates or chapters are interested in purchasing this type
of equipment for use in state and local meetings, they are encouraged to purchase
equipment compatible with that which we are using and to allow it to be used
in the pool of equipment that the Ham Radio Group administers at national convention.
I, Curtis Willoughby, would like to help you choose equipment compatible with
that which the NFB is using. I may also be able to help you get the good prices
the NFB has been getting. You may contact me at (303) 424-7373 or <ka0vba@dimensional.com>.

The
Federation is pleased to offer these services to our severely hearing-impaired
and Spanish-speaking colleagues, and we hope and believe that it will again
significantly improve their convention experience.

2004
Convention Attractions

From
the Editor: Every year's national convention is an absolutely unique event.
The agenda items, the exhibits, the new friends and business acquaintances:
all these give each convention its own character and significance. Some activities
lend a luster to the convention in part because they do take place every year
and provide helpful fixed points in the whirl of events. In this category are
the meetings of the Resolutions Committee and the board of directors, the annual
banquet, and the many seminars and workshops of the various divisions and committees.
Here is a partial list of activities being planned by a number of Federation
groups during the 2004 Convention, June 29 through July 5. Presidents of divisions,
committee chairpeople, and event presenters have provided the information. The
preconvention agenda will list the locations of all events taking place before
convention registration on Wednesday, June 30. The convention agenda will contain
listings of all events taking place beginning that day.

[PHOTO/CAPTION:
President Maurer talks with staff and volunteers as they prepare to unload the
trucks and set up the NFB store in the exhibit hall.]

The
Agriculture and Equestrian Division

by
Fred Chambers

The
meeting of the Agriculture and Equestrian Division will take place Thursday,
July 1. Check-in starts at 5:30 p.m. We will hear from Bill Gibson, a Utah vocational
rehabilitation counselor and cattle rancher. We are growing by leaps and bounds.
Come snack on bioregional produce, network, share stories, and meet some locals.
Georgia is home to a diverse agriculture industry. Learn about resources you
can tap into to start or expand a career in agriculture's myriad fields.

Our
membership has a wide array of interests and a wide geographic distribution.
From agroforestry, apiculture, and aquaculture to composting, gardening, and
landscaping; from firearms and hunting to dairies and milk products; from ranching
and riding to tack and tractors and vermiculture and zymurgy--we cover the map.
Blind people are working, studying, and hobbying in every field, while feeding
and clothing the world. Put your boots on, roll up your sleeves, and join us!

Tours:

Tuesday,
June 29, 1:00 to 6:00 p.m.

Saturday,
July 3, 1:00 to 6:00 p.m.

We
are going back to our two-tour format, one on set-up day and the other on tour
day. These tours are always a highlight and a bargain. Details of our Atlanta
Agriculture and Equestrian Division tours will be in the May Braille Monitor.
Our past tours have included horseback riding and touring historic homes, stables,
carriage barns, thoroughbred ranches, urban organic farms, microbreweries, and
much more. Stay tuned or contact the tour coordinator.

Come
hear Dr. Maurer sing at BLIND, Incorporated's Karaoke night. Whether you form
a group, sing solo, or cheer on your fellow Federationists, you will want to
be part of this fun-filled night on Tuesday, June 29, from 8:00 p.m. to midnight.
And, if that's not enough, come find out what song the BLIND, Incorporated,
staff and students will sing this year. Meet current students and alumni as
they share their experiences from training. There will be a cash bar and many
door prizes. Admission is only $5. Song lists will be available in Braille that
night, or you can check our Web page at <www.blindinc.org>, where the
song list will be posted when we get closer to convention.

The
Colorado Center for the Blind Night

by
Julie Deden

Have
you wondered what it would be like to be a student at the Colorado Center for
the Blind? Are you interested in job training? Join the students and staff Saturday,
July 3, from 7:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m. to discover what your future could hold.
Meet our employment specialist and find out what career might be right for you.
Try hands-on demonstrations from cane travel to Braille. See what it's like
to rock climb and create sculpture. Consider blindness training; it can change
your life.

Braille
Carnival Buddies

Help
Wanted

by
Melissa Riccobono

Are
you going to the national convention in Atlanta this summer? If so and if you
are at least eighteen, please consider helping as a buddy at the annual Braille
carnival on Tuesday, June 29, from 9:00 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.

This
is a great opportunity to work with both blind and sighted children while their
parents attend meetings. The Braille carnival features many unique and fun Braille
reading and writing experiences for novice to advanced Braille readers. Carnival
buddies are responsible for guiding children through the maze of Braille activities.
There is plenty of help even if you are still working on your own Braille reading
skills.

If
you can help or have questions, please contact Melissa Riccobono at <maricco@verizon.net>,
or call (410) 837-0707. Your help is greatly appreciated. More details will
follow for those who are interested in helping at the Braille carnival, and
an orientation meeting will be held on the morning of the carnival.

Editors
Workshop

Sponsored
by the Correspondence Committee

by
Jerry Whittle

The
Correspondence Committee, the oldest NFB committee, presents an annual workshop
for newsletter editors and discusses issues concerned in editing NFB affiliate
and division newsletters. In an effort to allow more editors to attend this
workshop, we will hold it this year from 1:30 to 4:30 p.m. on Tuesday, June
29. Consult your preconvention agenda for the room. Barbara Pierce, editor of
the Braille Monitor, will be on hand to lead many of the discussions and exercises.
Other speakers will lend their expertise in areas such as layout and using photographs.
All NFB newsletter editors are encouraged to attend.

Deaf-Blind
Division

by
Richard Edlund

The
National Federation of the Blind Deaf-Blind Division will conduct its annual
meetings July 2 and 3 from 7:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. Registration will begin at
6:15 p.m. on July 2 and at 6:30 p.m. on July 3. The meetings begin promptly
at 7:00. Check the convention agenda for the location.

The
meeting on July 2 will cover topics concerning deaf-blindness such as Braille,
computers, independent travel as a deaf-blind person, and techniques for effective
job searches and appropriate job placements. The business meeting will take
place on July 3. The first hour will focus on division business, including elections.
The second hour will be an open-ended discussion by the audience on any issues
associated with deaf-blindness.

Interpreter
services will be provided on request to those who submit their requests by May
15, 2004, to Maurice A. Mines. Send email to him at <mmines@mines-family.net>,
or write him at 3805 West 26th Avenue, Apartment 105, Denver, Colorado 80211,
or phone (720) 855-0309.

For
more information about deaf-blindness and the activities of the NFB's Deaf-Blind
Division, contact President Dick Edlund, 6734 Montana Court, Kansas City, Kansas
66111, call (913) 299-3201, or send email to <rjedlund@aol.com>.

Division
dues are $5 a year and can be sent to Treasurer Kimberley Johnson, Colorado
Center for the Blind, 2233 West Shepperd Avenue, Littleton, Colorado 80120,
call (303) 778-1130, (ext. 212), fax (303) 778-1598, or send email to <kjohnson@cocenter.org>.

Come
one and all, and learn what we are doing to change what it means to be deaf-blind.
See you in Atlanta from June 29 to July 5.

Diabetes
Action Network

by
Paul Price

The
Diabetes Action Network will hold its annual seminar on Thursday, July 1, 2004,
in Atlanta from 1:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. We have two keynote speakers; Dr. Frank
Vinicor, the director of diabetes translation at the Centers for Disease Control,
and Jinan Saaddine, an ophthalmologist at the CDC. He is probably the most knowledgeable
person in the world about diabetes statistics and research. We will also have
door prizes.

Educators
of Blind Children

by
Gail Wagner

Attention
educators of blind children. Often we are the only teachers in our area and
don't have others nearby to share with. Let's get together and chat at the convention.
When you get into Atlanta, call Gail Wagner's room for day, time, and place.
Please email her privately if you will be attending the convention: <swagkat@att.net>.
Hope to see you in Atlanta.

Ham
Radio Group Emergency Preparedness Seminar

by
Curtis Willoughby

In
accord with long-standing tradition, the first meeting of the 2004 convention
will be the Emergency Preparedness Seminar conducted by the NFB Ham Radio Group.

The
seminar will be held at 7:30 a.m. on Tuesday, June 29. We will discuss frequencies
to be used during the convention, especially those to be used in the event of
an emergency call-out during the convention. We will also discuss those architectural
features of the convention hotels and other information that NFB hams need to
know if an emergency response is necessary. Any Atlanta hams who would be willing
to do a little frequency scouting before the convention are asked to contact
Curtis, KA0VBA (303) 424-7373, <ka0vba@dimensional.com>.

The
Ham Radio Group has a Federation service project of handling the distribution
of the special FM receivers to allow hearing-impaired conventioneers to hear
a signal directly from the public address system, which is much easier to understand
than the sound that normal hearing aids pick up in a meeting. These same receivers
are used to allow Spanish speakers (those who do not understand English fluently)
to hear a Spanish translation of the convention and the banquet.

We
will take some time at the Emergency Preparedness Seminar to prepare for this
project as well. It is important that all group members willing to help come
to the seminar.

The
annual business meeting of the NFB Ham Radio Group will be held at noon on Sunday,
July 4.

Health
Professionals Division

by
Abio Sokari

Attention
all Federationists in health professions or interested in careers in the health
professions. The Health Professional Division will meet from 2 to 5 p.m. on
Thursday, July 1, at our national convention. We will conduct a division program
and a business meeting, including elections, at this time. For more information
contact Abio Sokari, M.D., Ph.D., at <Sokaria@umkc.edu.>

The
Human Services Division

by
Melissa Riccobono

The
Human Services Division will meet July 1, 2004, for our annual seminar and business
meeting. Registration will begin at 1:30 p.m., and the seminar/business meeting
will be held from 2:00 to 5:00 p.m.

The
Human Services Division was formed in order to allow blind psychologists, social
workers, counselors, other human service workers, and those interested in human
service fields to network, ask questions, and share techniques with one another.
This year our seminar will address many topics involved in finding employment,
including job interviews and internships. We will also discuss techniques blind
human service workers use in order to get the job done.

Please
join us for this informative seminar. Dues are $5. If you have any questions,
contact Melissa Riccobono, president, National Federation of the Blind Human
Services Division, by phone at (410) 837-0707 or by email at <maricco@verizon.net>.

2004
IBTC-Sponsored Technology Seminars

by
Brad Hodges

Last
year at the convention in Louisville the International Braille and Technology
Center for the Blind sponsored a series of technology-related seminars. These
presentations covered a spectrum of technology topics at different user-experience
levels.

We
are pleased to announce that we will have a similar offering this year in Atlanta.
The seminars will be held on Tuesday, June 29. Anyone is welcome to attend any
of the eight ninety-minute presentations.

Each
seminar will be conducted in one of two rooms. For room locations and to confirm
topic details, consult your preconvention agenda, which you will be able to
obtain upon check-in at the Marriott Marquis.

Session
1: 8:30 to 10:00 a.m.

A:
Microsoft Word XP for Beginners (beginning and intermediate users)

B:
Braille from the Ether (intermediate and advanced Duxbury users interested in
learning tips and tricks for formatting materials from the Net and beyond)

Session
2: 10:30 a.m. to noon

C:
Microsoft Word XP: The Rest of the Story (intermediate and advanced users of
Word XP and those moving from Word 2000 to XP)

D:
EBooks: Are Cassettes a Thing of the Past (for all interested in the latest
developments in playback equipment, sources, and the future of eBooks)

Session
3: 1:00 to 2:30 p.m.

E:
Tactile Graphics: A Touching Experience (cosponsored by the IBTC and NOPBC for
parents, teachers, and all who are interested in learning about specialized
graphics technology intended for the blind)

F:
Excel for Beginners (beginning and intermediate users)

Session
4: 3:00 to 4:30 p.m.

G:
Tactile Graphics: More Touching Experiences (for parents, teachers, and all
who are interested in using models, construction toys, and other techniques
to create hands-on experiences)

H:
Notetakers and your Desktop (beginner to intermediate users of Braille notetakers
who want to learn about connecting them to a desktop computer)

The
Louisiana Center for the Blind Players Present:

The
Long and Winding Trail

by
Jerry Whittle

This
original drama depicts a young blind man who must run away from home to find
trust and loyalty on the streets of New Orleans. Tickets are $5. All proceeds
are used to help fund the summer training programs for blind children at the
Louisiana Center for the Blind. You can see the play at either 7:00 or 9:00
p.m. on Thursday, July 1.

Mining
Local Foundations for Your Affiliate

by
Mary Brady

On
Tuesday, June 29, from 1:00 to 3:30 p.m. Mary Brady, M.S., program officer,
National Federation of the Blind Jernigan Institute, will offer a seminar on
grant writing. Participants will receive current sources of information on private
foundations that want to fund projects in their states. Ms. Brady will also
circulate model applications for Radio Shack Foundation, Wal-Mart Foundation,
and Starbucks Foundation. We will discuss information on application guidelines
and the seven secret characteristics of a winning proposal.

National
Association of the Blind

in
Communities of Faith

by
Tom Anderson

The
National Association of the Blind in Communities of Faith will hold its annual
meeting on Thursday, July 1, from 1:00 to 5:00 p.m. Registration for this meeting
will start at 12:30 p.m. This year's theme for the meeting will be "Resources
for Empowerment." We plan to have representatives from various faith-based
libraries and publishing houses describe what their organizations do. There
will be time for questions. We will then have speakers who will discuss how
they use their spiritual resources to succeed in their endeavors.

We
may also have a discussion about problems members may be having with full participation
in their places of worship. A brief business meeting will follow these discussions.
In this business meeting we will work to set goals for the next year.

As
in recent years, the division will coordinate early morning devotionals at the
2004 convention. These are intended to encompass all faiths and are open to
everyone. We will conduct these devotional services from Friday through Monday,
July 2 to 5. Consult the convention agenda for the time and place. If you wish
to take part in leading these devotionals, please contact me at the above address.
We are looking for people who wish to sing or preach. You can also contact me
at the 2004 convention in Atlanta.

National
Association of Blind Entrepreneurs

by
James R. Bonerbo

The
division's annual seminar will be held on June 29 from 1:00 to 5:00 p.m. We
will discuss the formation and operation of small business organizations, the
business plan, financing, accounting, tax matters, etc. Don Capps, who chairs
the NFB's small business loans committee, will address the seminar. We hope
that you can join us.

National
Association of Blind Lawyers

by
Scott LaBarre

Each
year the National Association of Blind Lawyers (NABL) conducts its annual meeting
at the convention of the National Federation of the Blind, and this year is
no different. We will meet on Thursday, July 1, at the Marriott Marquis from
1:00 to 5:00 p.m., exact room to be announced. The purpose of our annual meeting
and seminar is multifaceted.

We
will examine emerging trends in the law that affect blind people and others
with disabilities. We will discuss how to practice law most effectively as a
blind or visually impaired legal professional. We will have an update on the
way legal research companies are making their products accessible with screen
readers and other assistive technology used by blind lawyers. Undoubtedly we
will hear from local law schools and bar associations about their outreach efforts
to blind and visually impaired students and legal professionals. Because our
agenda covers substantive areas of the law and addresses the practice of law
itself, many of our members have applied for and received continuing legal education
credits for our seminar.

At
the conclusion of the seminar we will hold a reception for NABL members and
seminar participants to promote networking and fellowship within our membership.
If you are a lawyer, legal professional, or law student or are interested in
law, the NABL meeting in Atlanta on July 1 is the place to be.

Mock
Trial

by
Scott LaBarre

The
National Association of Blind Lawyers will sponsor its Seventh Annual Mock Trial
at the 2004 NFB convention. This trial will reenact an old Federation case.
Federation lawyers will be pitted against each other arguing the merits of the
two positions.

Although
the matter has not been firmly decided, we will very likely revisit an employment
discrimination case in which a blind factory worker was fired because of his
blindness. See your favorite Federation lawyers strut their legal stuff.

You,
the audience, will serve as the jury. This year's trial promises to be just
as entertaining and thought provoking as the past trials. A nominal charge of
$5 per person will benefit the National Association of Blind Lawyers. The trial
will take place on Wednesday afternoon, June 30, at 4:30 p.m. somewhere in the
Marriott Marquis. Consult the convention agenda for the exact place.

National
Association of Blind Merchants

by
Kevan Worley

The
National Association of Blind Merchants would like to thank our loyal snack
pack customers over the past seven years. Snack Pack has not only been a lot
of fun and a great fundraiser for our division; it has also helped many conventioneers
on a tight budget to snack pretty well. This year we regret to say that we will
be unable to provide snack packs, but we are working on an exciting alternative.
So come to our table in the exhibit hall, enjoy a small cool drink, buy a raffle
ticket for a chance to win $1,000, and prepare to be surprised and delighted
by our latest entrepreneurial venture.

The
annual meeting of the National Association of Blind Merchants will take place
Thursday afternoon, July 1, at 1:00 p.m. Check the convention agenda for location.
This year registration for our division meeting will begin approximately thirty
minutes after adjournment of the board of directors meeting. If you are involved
in the Randolph-Sheppard Program or operate a similar business, you won't want
to miss this merchants' meeting. On Saturday, July 3, from 7:00 until 8:30 p.m.,
we invite you to our fourth annual Randolph-Sheppard reception. Socialize, network,
and learn more about Randolph-Sheppard opportunities. Check the convention agenda
for location.

National
Association of Blind Musicians

by
Linda Mentink

The
National Association of Blind Musicians (NABM) will hold its annual seminar
on Tuesday, June 29, from 1:00 to 6:00 p.m. Bill McCann will give an overview
of the products available from Dancing Dots. Then he will do a mini training
session with those who want to learn to use GoodFeel, his Braille Music Translation
software program. If you'd like to be trained, please contact me immediately
so that we know how many computers to have available.

Our
annual business meeting is scheduled for Wednesday evening, June 30. Registration
will begin at 6:30, and the meeting will begin at 7:00. This is an election
year.

NABM
will hold its annual showcase of talent on Friday evening, July 2. This is our
fundraiser and very well attended. Admission is $5 at the door. If you wish
to participate, please follow these guidelines:

1.
Sign up by 12 noon on the day of the showcase.

2.
Perform one number, no longer than four minutes.

3.
If you are using a taped accompaniment, please have it cued up. Do not sing
with the artist; you will be cut off while performing.

4.
If you need an accompanist, please make arrangements before the showcase.

Membership
dues are $5 per year. If you wish to renew your membership or become a member
before the convention, please make your check payable to NABM and send it to
Bee Hodgkiss, 1117 Marquette, Minneapolis, Minnesota 55403.

National
Association of Blind Office Professionals

by
Lisa Hall

The
National Association of Blind Office Professionals (NABOP) will conduct its
annual meeting on Tuesday, June 29. Registration begins at 6:30 p.m., and the
meeting begins promptly at 7:00 p.m. Plans are underway to discuss interesting
topics such as an update on Braille-transcription training programs, an informative
presentation on the Microsoft Office User Specialist Certification Program,
and a host of other topics. This is an election year, so come one and all and
give feedback on what you would like to see change in NABOP. Consult your convention
agenda for the meeting location.

Membership
dues are $5 a year, and dues can be sent to Carol Clark, treasurer, 10 Summitcrest
Drive, Kansas City, Kansas 66101; home phone (913) 621-3551; work phone (913)
281-3308. Her email address is <circa1944@aol.com>.

The
National Association of Blind Piano Technicians will hold its annual meeting
on Thursday, July 1, from 3:00 to 5:00 p.m. Please consult your convention agenda
for room location. Come learn about the new Veratuner electronic piano-tuning
machine, which has been developed by the piano technicians division, Smith Kettlewell,
and Veratuner, Inc. This is an exciting new device developed for blind piano
technicians. Join us at our meeting and help us change what it means to be a
blind piano technician.

Also
stop by the blind piano technicians' booth in the exhibit hall and talk about
piano technology. You can sign up to win a Type 'n Speak notetaker. Hope to
see you there.

The
National Association of Blind Rehabilitation Professionals

by
Shawn Mayo

The
National Association of Blind Rehabilitation Professionals will hold our annual
meeting Friday, July 2, from 7:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m. As always, this year's
program will include practical ways to bring our Federation philosophy into
our work in the blindness field. We will also examine ways of working with youth,
find out what's new at RSA, look into how the workforce centers are affecting
rehabilitation, and discuss other critical issues. Whether you are a rehabilitation
teacher, counselor, agency director, or advocate wanting to inform others back
in your state, this seminar is for you. Membership dues are $5.

National
Association of Blind Students

by
Angela Wolf

The
National Association of Blind Students will conduct its annual student division
meeting on Wednesday, June 30, from 7:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m. at the NFB national
convention. Registration will begin at 6:00 p.m. We will also be hosting Monte
Carlo Night on Saturday, July 3, from 8:00 p.m. until midnight. Monte Carlo
Night is a fundraiser for the student division, and this year it will be bigger
and better than ever. Come support the students and have fun at the same time.

The
National Association of Guide Dog Users (NAGDU) invites all interested convention
attendees to its two meetings to be held at our national convention in Atlanta.
As always we will host two sessions this year. The first will be held Tuesday,
June 29. This meeting is our convention business meeting. Although not all arrangements
for our meeting have been completed yet, one of our activities will be our biennial
election of division officers. Registration will be conducted from 6:00 to 7:00
p.m., and the meeting is scheduled to begin promptly at 7:00 and end at 10:00
p.m.

As
has been the case for several years, our second meeting is entitled "A
Guide Dog in Your Life." It will be held on Saturday, July 3, from 6:00
to 10:00 p.m. During the first two hours we will focus on questions of primary
interest to cane users contemplating becoming guide dog users, although everyone
is invited to participate. Experienced guide dog users can answer questions
posed by cane users, and potential guide dog users can hear real-life stories
from us in the division who use guide dogs every day. We also expect that guide
dog instructors will be available from several schools to give Juno walks for
those who want them. This is the preliminary walk given to all new guide dog
students before matching is done with a guide dog.

As
many of you know from reading Harness Up, our newsletter, the Canine Concerns
Committee has undergone major changes. We are asking for volunteers to help
organize and supervise the relief areas. Anyone in the Atlanta area who can
make telephone calls for us would be especially welcome. If you are interested
in helping, please contact Suzanne Whalen, president, at (214) 357-2829.

We
look forward to seeing all of you at this year's convention. We know that, as
always, we will all come away inspired.

National
Association to Promote the Use of Braille

by
Nadine Jacobson

It's
hard to believe that our national convention is just around the corner. While
you are considering which meetings to attend, we hope you will choose NAPUB,
the National Association to Promote the Use of Braille. The time for the meeting
is 7:00 p.m. on Thursday, July 1.

We
have an exciting agenda planned. If you want to know what's going on with Braille,
we hope you can come to our meeting. Before the meeting begins, we will again
this year conduct a Braille book flea market. It will begin at 5:00 p.m. Refreshments
will be served, and we are sure that everyone will have as much fun as we did
last year. If you have any books you would like to contribute to the flea market,
consult the first Monitor Miniature in this issue for the exact address to which
books should be shipped. Remember, all of the proceeds from the Braille book
flea market will go to fund the Braille mentoring program. If you wish to learn
more about any NAPUB activities, I can be reached by telephone at (952) 927-7694.
My email address is <Nadine.Jacobson@visi.com>. We look forward to seeing
all of you in Atlanta.

[PHOTO/CAPTION:
Children and NFB Camp staff members play on the floor.]

NFB
Camp: It's More Than Child's Play

by
Carla McQuillan

Programs
and Activities

During
convention week children six weeks through ten years of age are invited to join
in the fun and festivities of NFB Camp. NFB Camp offers more than just childcare;
it is an opportunity for our blind and sighted children to meet and develop
lifelong friendships. Our activity schedule is filled with games, crafts, and
special performances designed to entertain, educate, and delight. If you are
interested in this year's program, please complete and return the registration
form provided at the end of this notice. Preregistration with payment on or
before June 15, 2004, is mandatory for participation in NFB Camp. Space is limited,
and each year some families have to be turned away.

About
the Staff: NFB Camp is organized and supervised by Carla McQuillan, the executive
director of Main Street Montessori Association, operating two schools, parent
education courses, and a teacher-training program. Carla is the mother of two
children, the president of the National Federation of the Blind of Oregon, and
a member of the board of directors of the National Federation of the Blind.

Michelle
Ros, NFB Camp's activities director since 1999, will not be available this year
because of the birth of her second child, due mid-June. Michelle regrets her
absence and promises to be with us next year, babe in arms. Instead Alison McQuillan--camp
worker and teacher since 1998--will be our activities director this year. Over
the years we have recruited professional childcare workers from the local community
to staff NFB Camp. Recently we have determined that recruiting from our Federation
families results in workers with proper philosophy and attitudes about our blind
children. Carla and Alison will be supervising camp workers and all related
activities.

Activities
and Special Events: The children are divided into groups according to age: infants
and toddlers, preschoolers, and school-aged children. Each camp room is equipped
with a variety of age-appropriate toys, games, and books, and we will have daily
art projects. In addition school-aged children will have the opportunity to
sign up for half-day trips to local area attractions.

The
planned events include trips to underground Atlanta for ice cream, a tour of
the Coca Cola museum, a visit to the Atlanta Center for Puppetry Arts, and more.
Our field trip supervisor this year will be 2002 scholarship winner Nicolas
Crisosto. Dates, times, additional fees, and sign-up sheets for field trips
will be available at NFB Camp. Space for special events is limited to enrolled
NFB Campers only, on a first-come, first-served basis. On the final day of NFB
Camp we will conduct a big toy sale--brand new toys at bargain prices.

Banquet
Night: NFB Camp will provide dinner and activities during the banquet. The cost
for banquet activities is $15 per child in addition to other camp fees.

NFB
Camp will be open during general convention sessions, division and committee
meeting day, and the evening of the banquet. Plenty of teens are always available
to baby-sit during evening and lunchtime meetings.

Please
use the NFB Camp registration form.

NFB
Camp Schedule

NFB
Camp will be open during general convention sessions, division and committee
meeting day, and the evening of the banquet. Times listed are the opening and
closing times of NFB Camp. Children are not accepted earlier than the times
listed, and a late fee of $10 will be assessed for all late pick-ups. NFB Camp
provides morning and afternoon snacks. You are responsible to provide lunch
for your child(ren) every day except Tuesday.

Date
NFB Camp Hours

Tuesday,
June 29 8:30 a.m.-5:30 p.m.

Wednesday,
June 30 Camp is closed.

Thursday,
July 1 8:30 a.m.-5:30 p.m.

Friday,
July 2 9:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m.

and 1:30 p.m.-5:30 p.m.

Saturday,
July 3 8:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m.

Sunday,
July 4 8:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m.

and 1:30 p.m.-5:30 p.m.

Banquet: 6:30 p.m.

Monday,
July 5 8:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m.

and 1:30-5:30 p.m.

You
are required to provide lunch for your child(ren) each day except Tuesday.

These
times may vary, depending on the timing of the actual convention sessions. NFB
Camp will open thirty minutes before the beginning gavel and close thirty minutes
after session recess.

Who,
other than parents, is allowed to pick up your child? _____________________________________________________________________

Per
Week: $80 first child; $60 siblings # of children _____ $ ________

(Does not include banquet)

Per
Day: $20 per child per day # days ____ x $20/child $ ________

(Does not include banquet)

Banquet:
$15 per child # of children _____ x $15 $ ________

Total Due $ ________

We
understand that NFB Camp is being provided as a service by the NFB to make our
convention more enjoyable for both parents and children. We understand the rules
we were given and agree to abide by them. We will pick up children immediately
following sessions. We understand that if our child(ren) does not follow the
rules or if for any reason staff are unable to care for our child(ren), further
access to childcare will be denied.

This
year's meeting of the National Federation of the Blind in Computer Science will
be held on Thursday, July 1, at the Atlanta Marriott Marquis from 1:00 p.m.
to 5:00 p.m. This being an even-numbered year, members of the division will
have an opportunity to elect officers and board members.

Of
late we have received disturbing information about difficulties blind people
have experienced with reasonable accommodations when trying to take various
computerized certification tests. In one instance a blind test-taker was denied
the opportunity to bring a Braillewriter and blank paper into the testing area,
and in another questions arose about whether or not it was reasonable for screen-magnification
software to be installed on the testing computer to be used by a person with
low vision. Another issue that we are wrestling with in this area has to do
with the compatibility of testing software with screen-access technology and
the willingness of developers of testing software to ensure that the programs
they create work with the programs that the blind use to operate the computer.
Accordingly, at this year's meeting we will be speaking with representatives
from some of the larger testing companies such as Prometric and Certiport.

Other
program items being considered include an update from Microsoft and other companies
about their continuing efforts to maintain or improve accessibility to their
products; a discussion with some of the more egregious purveyors of the graphical
text-verification technology, which shuts out many blind people from important
services; Java (as used with Windows screen readers); and a technical roundtable
for PC and mainframe computer programmers.

The
NFB in Judaism will meet on Friday, July 2, from 5:30 to 7:00 p.m. This is a
half-hour after the close of the general convention session. During the business
meeting we will discuss the situation of blind Jews in their communities and
the ongoing problems with JBI International. After the meeting those members
who wish to do so may join in an Oneg Shabbat celebration and meal which will
be kosher. The approximate cost of the catered meal will be $30 a person, including
tax and gratuity. Those wishing to attend the Oneg Shabbat must make advance
reservations by June 25, 2004, in order to guarantee a meal. Please contact
Harold Snider, chairman, NFB in Judaism, at 4921 Bel Pre Road, Rockville, Maryland
20853, phone (301) 460-4142, or email <hlsnider@earthlink.net>.

National
Organization of Blind Educators

by
Sheila Koenig

On
July 1 the National Organization of Blind Educators (NOBE) will conduct its
annual meeting from 1:30 to 4:30 p.m. Registration begins at 1:00 p.m. NOBE
is a network of blind teachers and those interested in careers in education.
Our meeting will offer an opportunity to meet blind people teaching in various
grade levels and content areas.

Many
questions arise as people contemplate and realize their dreams of teaching:
how will potential employers react to a blind applicant? How does a blind person
manage students in a classroom? How does one accomplish the daily duties as
well as the "other duties as assigned" for which teachers are contracted?
During our seminar at the 2004 convention in Atlanta, successful blind teachers
will discuss such questions. Seminar participants will also meet in small groups
specific to grade level and content areas of interest. In this way we can create
a network of mentors extending beyond our meeting.

Education
is a profession rich in possibility. As we continue to take on additional roles
both inside and outside the classroom, we must continue to develop the alternative
techniques essential to our success. Whether you are currently teaching or are
interested in the profession of education, we invite you to our seminar on July
1 in Atlanta.

National
Organization of the Senior Blind

by
Judy Sanders

Medicare
defines a senior as someone who is over sixty-five, or is it sixty-seven? RSA
(the Rehabilitation Services Administration) says that people are seniors when
they are over fifty-five. AARP wants folks when they reach fifty. The National
Organization of the Senior Blind (NOSB) wants you at any age.

We
will open the doors at 6:00 p.m. on June 30 to begin registration and our ever
popular somewhat silent auction. To make the auction work, we are once again
counting on generous contributions by Federationists both in items for the auction
and in emptying of wallets and checkbooks. Please make sure your items arrive
in time for consideration by eager bidders.

Our
meeting will be packed full of information from and for blind seniors. Here's
an example: Dr. Abio Sokario is employed as a medical consultant to the Topeka
Center for the Blind in Kansas. As an enthusiastic Federationist he wants to
share his knowledge. He will present an item called "Memory Boosters or
Busters." If you are wondering what this will entail, you are not alone.
I'm wondering too. We'll all have to show up to find out.

The
meeting will adjourn no later than 10:00 p.m. If you have questions or suggestions
for the agenda, call Judy Sanders at (612) 375-1625. Email: <judysanders@usfamily.net>.
One final thing: leave your ID in your hotel room; you won't need it to get
in.

Public
Employees Division

by
Ivan Weich

The
Public Employees Division will meet Wednesday, June 30, at 7:00 p.m. If you
have questions about the division or the program, you should contact Ivan Weich,
division president, at (360) 782-9575.

Roman
Catholic Mass

Fr.
Gregory Paul, C.P., plans to be with us again at this year's convention and
will celebrate Mass on Sunday morning, July 4, at 6:45 a.m. The room assignment
will be listed in the agenda.

Shaping
the Programs

Of
the Jernigan Institute:

A
Topical Conversation Among NFB Members

Now
that the Jernigan Institute is a reality, we want to be sure that member ideas,
concerns, and needs play a part in our planning. To this end we will conduct
a series of topical discussions on Tuesday, June 29. Moderators will be Executive
Director Betsy Zaborowski and Director of Programs Ruth Martin, National Federation
of the Blind Jernigan Institute. Consult the preconvention agenda for locations.

1:00
to 2:00 p.m., Session I Topic: Seniors

2:15
to 3:15 p.m., Session II Topic: Rehabilitation and Employment

3:30
to 4:30 p.m., Session III Topic: Education

4:45
to 5:45 p.m., Session IV Topic: Technology

Where
do your interests lie? What issues are important for us to consider? Join us
for the discussion.

Social
Security Seminar

by
James McCarthy and Teresa Uttermohlen

An
outreach seminar, "Social Security and Supplemental Security Income: What
Applicants, Advocates, and Recipients Should Know," will take place Saturday
afternoon, July 3. Conducted by the National Federation of the Blind with the
assistance of the Social Security Administration, the seminar will provide information
on Social Security and Supplemental Security Income benefits for the blind.
Seminar presenters will be James McCarthy, director of governmental affairs
for the National Federation of the Blind, and his wife Teresa Uttermohlen, an
NFB member and a training and technical assistance liaison employed by Virginia
Commonwealth University. Social Security representatives will make helpful publications
available to those who attend and share useful information about communicating
with the Social Security Administration.

Teen
Hospitality Room

by
Gail Wagner

Attention
all teens! If you are between the ages of twelve and seventeen, we have the
place for you. Come to the Teen Hospitality Room to hang out, eat snacks, play
games, and visit with old and new friends. This room will be open during most
of the NOPBC meetings, plus other times throughout the week. Check for fliers
on information tables and at NOPBC activities. Or call Gail Wagner's room at
the hotel for last-minute information with dates and times.

Parents:
this room will be discreetly chaperoned by NFB members.

Travel
and Tourism Division

by
Stephanie Scott

You
are cordially invited to convene with the Travel and Tourism Division on Thursday,
July 1, from 1:00 p.m. until 4:00 p.m. The order of business will be as follows:

1.
Elections: all seats are vacant

2.
Reception

3.
Travel seminar

Light
refreshments will be served during the Travel and Tourism Seminar. The seminar
will feature a travel information table and a host of distinguished speakers
from governmental entities, Delta Airlines, Greyhound, Amtrak, and Carnival
Cruise Line.

Seating
is limited to Travel and Tourism members only, so become a member today. Membership
dues are only $10 a person and should be forwarded to the attention of Travel
and Tourism Division President Douglas M. Johnson, P.O. Box 597, Manchester,
Washington 98353, home phone (360) 871-3731, email <dougmj1@charter.net>.

For
more information about the festivities at convention, call Stephanie Scott at
(800) 449-6324 or email <stephanielscott@aol.com>.

Webmasters
Workshop

by
Chris Danielson

On
February 1, 2004, just prior to the NFB's annual Washington seminar, members
from several states gathered to discuss how each NFB affiliate could enhance
its presence on the World Wide Web. The topics ranged from registering domain
names and shopping for a good Web host to the particulars of exciting Web-development
software, which Macromedia, Inc., a leading manufacturer of such products, has
generously donated to the NFB for the use of its affiliates and divisions. The
discussion was so lively and productive that the group has planned a similar
meeting for the national convention.

Our
tentative agenda includes a discussion of how to use Macromedia's powerful Contribute
software to allow affiliate leaders to post material to Web sites without having
to become fluent in HTML; the kinds of content members and guests may find useful
on an affiliate Web site; and the way NFB Web sites can achieve a uniform look
and feel, while still insuring that each affiliate's site reflects its own unique
voice.

If
some of the terminology used here has left you scratching your head, don't worry;
you don't have to be a veteran Web jockey to attend. Join the NFB Webmasters
at convention and learn how this great movement of ours can harness the power
of the Internet to reach more people and make our movement even stronger. Check
the preconvention agenda for the details of time and location.

Writers
Division

by
Tom Stephens

The
Writers Division will conduct a workshop on communications and media at 1:45
p.m. on Tuesday, June 29. The objective will be to give participants ideas about
media coverage. The workshop will last until 3:00 p.m. The division will also
hold a come-one-come-all poetry reading from 3:15 till 4:30 p.m.

*********

[PHOTO/CAPTION:
NFB Camp kids on their way touring]

As
the Twig Is Bent

by
Barbara Cheadle

From
the Editor: Barbara Cheadle is the president of the National Organization of
Parents of Blind Children. Each year she and her board plan and organize activities
and programs for families and educators of blind children and of course the
youth themselves. Here pulled together in one place are the plans for the 2004
NOPBC programs taking place at the NFB convention in Atlanta:

This
year's NOPBC seminar theme is taken from the title of one of the early Kernel
Books: As The Twig Is Bent. In the preface of that book, Dr. Jernigan begins
by saying, "There is a well-known saying that, as the twig is bent, so
grows the tree. What is true of plants is also true of people." He goes
on to say, "Every day all of us are, at least to some degree, bending the
twig that will determine the final shape of their [blind children's] lives."
We hope that parents who attend the NOPBC activities and participate in the
many other 2004 NFB convention programs will leave with greater confidence in
their ability to shape their children's lives so that they will grow into active,
productive, independent, and valued members of their communities. Social skills
will be the primary focus of the seminar and workshops on Tuesday, June 29.
Barbara Pierce, who over the years has become one of NOPBC's most sought-after
workshop leaders, will give a major presentation on that topic during the morning
general session. Also on the morning agenda will be guest speaker Joel Snyder
from National Captioning Institute, Described Media Department. Joel, a trained
actor with many years of experience in audio-description, will talk about the
value of accessing the popular media for knowledge about social skills critical
to functioning in our culture.

As
in recent years the first part of the program will be kid friendly with a kid
talk between Dr. Maurer and the children in the audience, and a youth panel.
We will take a brief break before 10:00 a.m. to allow parents time to take the
kids to the annual Kenneth Jernigan Braille Carnival, coordinated this year
by the three M's: Melody Lindsey, director of a rehabilitation program in Michigan;
Maria Morias, a blind mother and educator; and school counselor Melissa Riccobono.
The carnival will end at 12:30 p.m., giving parents just enough time to pick
kids up from the Carnival or NFB Camp and get lunch before hitting the afternoon
workshops.

[PHOTO/CAPTION:
Leonida Besson in her stroller and her parents Nalida and Michael Besson at
the craft table in the Braille Carnival room]

In
the afternoon, parents and children ages eight and up will have several delightful
workshop choices. These workshops and the rest of the line-up of NOPBC sponsored
activities throughout the convention week are described in the agenda below:

Tuesday,
June 29

*
8:00 a.m. Registration.

Note:
preregistration materials and information about NOPBC seminar and activity fees
are available through June 10 from the NOPBC Web page at <www.nfb.org/nopbc.htm>
or by contacting Barbara Cheadle at (410) 737-2224. If you leave a voice mail
message requesting a packet, please spell your name and give your mailing address
and phone number.

*
9:00 a.m.–11:30 a.m. As the Twig Is Bent--NOPBC Parents Seminar

*
General Session

*10:00
a.m.–12:30 p.m. Kenneth Jernigan Braille Carnival

Children,
blind and sighted, ages six and up, are invited to attend this popular program
filled with two hours of games, crafts, and other fun Braille-related activities.
The carnival booths are sponsored by NFB affiliates and other organizations
that come to participate in the convention. Volunteer carnival buddies are recruited
from within the NFB membership. All children must be accompanied by a Braille
Carnival buddy or other adult.

*
1:30–5:00 p.m. NOPBC Parent Workshops

1.
Beginning Braille for Parents

Two
sessions: 1:30-3:00 and 3:30-5:00

2.
Movement, Music, and Play: The Connection to Early Socialization Skills, 0-7

Two
sessions: 1:30-3:00 and 3:30-5:00

3.
Body Language, Gestures, and Facial Expressions: How Much Do Blind Kids Really
Need to Know? How Much Do Visually Impaired Kids Miss?

Two
sessions: 1:30-3:00 and 3:30-5:00

4.
Friendships In and Beyond the Classroom

Two
sessions: 1:30-3:00 and 3:30-5:00

5.
Socialization, Blindness, and Additional Disabilities: There Is Hope

Two
sessions: 1:30-3:00 and 3:30-5:00

*
Lunch

Order
a box lunch when you preregister, or pick up your lunch at the nearby fast food
restaurants in the attached mall, and join other parents in hotel rooms or other
informal small family-group settings to talk about mutual interests and expand
your networks. A list of locations, rooms, and group leaders' names will be
available at NOPBC seminar registration before and after the morning session.

Cosponsored
by the NOPBC and the National Captioning Institute, Described Media Department.
Sighted high-school-age students will learn the principles of audio description.
They will view segments of videotaped programs, learn how to analyze them to
determine what text to add, and break up into teams to write a description for
a segment, practice it, and be prepared to give the description live later that
evening. From 7:00 to 8:00 p.m., blind middle and high school students will
be invited to review the described segments, critique them, and cast their votes
for best audio-described script, best voice, best use of language, and other
superlatives. All students (describers and reviewers alike) will receive certificates
from the National Captioning Institute, Described Media Department.

*
1:30–5:00 p.m. Exploring the Solar System: Youth Scavenger Hunt

Imagine
that you could squeeze the solar system into the Atlanta Marriott Marquis. Travel
to the moon, pick up artifacts from Mars, explore the rings of Saturn-–all within
the confines of the hotel. Young people, blind and sighted, ages eight and up,
will learn about the earth's solar system as they explore the Marriott Marquis
through a scavenger hunt. Sighted youth will also have the opportunity to travel
this universe-in-a-hotel with a white cane under blindfold as part of this educational
and fun afternoon. Federation volunteers and astronomers Noreen Grice of the
Hayden Planetarium in Boston, and Dr. Dennis Dawson, chairman of the Astronomy
Department at Western Connecticut University, will conduct this lively, educational
program.

*
7:00–8:00 p.m. Audio Describers Review and Judging

Blind
and visually impaired middle school and high school teens are invited to sign
up to review the afternoon work of the amateur teen audio-describers. Teens
may sign up in advance or at the door. For fairness and impartiality all reviewers
will be required to wear sleepshades (blindfolds).

*
8:00–9:00 p.m. Teen Discussion Groups

As
in previous years, experienced, sensitive blind leaders will conduct two talk
sessions, one for young men and one for young women, ages fourteen to eighteen,
on the all-important teen topics of dating, relationships with parents, social
interactions with peers, and more.

*
7:00–10:00 p.m. NOPBC Family Hospitality

Relax
and chat in an informal atmosphere with other parents, teachers, and blind adults
while your kids roam and play around the tables. There will be some door prizes
and a few mixer games, but mostly this will be an unstructured evening in which
you can network with others. While parents will be responsible for supervision
of their children at hospitality, again thanks to Heather Field, a Discovery
Toys® display with a play area for children will be in the room.

Wednesday,
June 30

*
8:30-1:00 p.m. Cane Walk

Session
1: 8:30–10:30 a.m.

Session
2: 11:00–1:00 p.m.

This
workshop will begin with a brief discussion of why the NFB promotes the use
of the long cane with the metal tip, early use of the cane, and the value of
blind instructors. It will conclude with an overview of the difference between
the discovery method and traditional O and M instruction. After the introduction
parents, teachers, and kids will be issued canes and sleepshades (blindfolds)
and then teamed with a volunteer instructor for a cane walk through the hotel
and, for those who have not yet registered, to the NFB registration area. Volunteer
instructors are recruited from current and former students of the Louisiana
Tech/Louisiana Center for the Blind O and M program as well as other experienced
volunteers at the convention. Coordinated by Christine Brown and Joe Cutter.

*
1:00-5:00 p.m. Teen Get-Acquainted Party

Sponsored
jointly by NOPBC and Blind Industries and Services of Maryland (BISM). All teens
are invited to drop in anytime for games and music or just to hang out with
other teens. This room is supervised at all times by BISM counselors.

A
workshop for parents and older youth. Internationally known Braille expert Dr.
Sally Mangold will discuss the versatility of Braille in a variety of life settings
for a diverse population of students, including those with partial vision or
additional disabilities. The workshop will include a break-out session to provide
children and parents a hands-on demonstration of the Braille educational learning
tool, SAL (Speech Assisted Learning).

Cosponsored
by NOPBC and NAPUB, and made possible through a grant from the UPS Foundation
and the efforts of UPS volunteers from the Atlanta office.

Come
and help celebrate Braille and the accomplishments of the Braille Readers Are
Leaders Contest and Literacy Program. You will find lots of free food, great
fellowship, Braille mentors for the kids, and, best of all, a chance to browse
and pick up some great Braille books at the flea market. Donations from the
Braille book flea market will go into the newly established Braille Readers
Are Leaders Reunion and Mentorship Fund. Bring the whole family. Stay for the
NAPUB meeting at 7:00 p.m. All Braille enthusiasts are invited, but former contestants
and winners are extended a special invitation.

Friday,
July 2

*
7:00 a.m. NOPBC Board Meeting

Evening--NOPBC
Parent and Youth Workshops

*
7:00–9:00 p.m. Astronomy Is for Everyone

Drop
in anytime; everyone is welcome. Children must be accompanied by adults. Look
at hands-on models and tactile maps. Astronomers Noreen Grice and Dr. Dennis
Dawson will answer your questions, describe the materials, and demonstrate that
everyone can access astronomy.

*
7:00–8:00 p.m. The Benefits of Sleepshade (Blindfold) Training for Partially
Sighted Children and Youth

Does
it really help? Why do the NFB training centers use sleepshades? Are sleepshades
effective for young children in school settings? Can parents use them effectively?
Should parents learn techniques under sleepshades? Come with your questions
and an open mind, and we will honestly explore a topic frequently shunned or
dismissed by traditionally trained O and M instructors.

*
8:00–9:30 p.m. Standards, Accountability, IDEA, and No Child Left Behind: What
Do They Mean for Blind Students?

An
update on the status of significant education legislation and trends in education
policy and practice with an emphasis on their impact on the education of blind
students. Moderated by NOPBC second vice president Marty Grieser. Legislative
update from NFB Director of Governmental Affairs James McCarthy and other informative
guest speakers.

Childcare
for the above NOPBC workshops will be available for a reasonable donation, courtesy
of NOPBC.

Saturday,
July 3

*
Tour Afternoon

The
NOPBC encourages parents and children to take the afternoon off and enjoy Atlanta.
We especially recommend the Fernbank Science Center and Planetarium Touch the
Universe tour. NOPBC has collaborated with the NFB of Georgia to bring astronomers
Noreen Grice and Dr. Dennis Dawson to Atlanta to assist with this special activity.

*
7:00 p.m. Audio-Described Family Night at the Movies

Movie
title to be announced. Presented by NOPBC and the National Captioning Institute,
Described Media Department.

Dialysis
at National Convention

by
Ed Bryant

During
this year's annual convention of the National Federation of the Blind in Atlanta,
Georgia, Tuesday, June 29, through Monday, July 5, dialysis will be available.
Those requiring dialysis must have a transient patient packet and physician's
statement filled out prior to treatment. Conventioneers must have their unit
contact the desired location in the Atlanta area for instructions well in advance.
Note: The convention will take place at the Atlanta Marriott Marquis, 265 Peachtree
Center Avenue, in downtown Atlanta.

Individuals
will be responsible for and must pay out of pocket prior to each treatment the
approximately $30 not covered by Medicare, plus any additional physicians' fees
and any charges for other medications.

Dialysis
centers should set up transient dialysis locations at least two months in advance.
This helps assure a location for anyone wanting to dialyze. Atlanta has many
centers, but that area is quite large, so early reservation is strongly recommended
to avoid long taxi rides. Remember, this is a major holiday weekend, and folks
will be busy.

[PHOTO/CAPTION:
The general session dais with sponsor logos displayed across the front side]

Announcement
for National Convention Exhibitors

by
Jerry Lazarus

By
now most of our previous exhibitors have received the national convention exhibitor
packet, which includes the invitation letter, application, fact sheet, guidelines,
and sponsorship opportunities available this year for the 2004 convention in
Atlanta, Georgia. We would like to call your attention to the levels of sponsorship
opportunities available for the first time. This year we are breaking new ground
in the amount of visibility and recognition an exhibitor can receive by becoming
a sponsor at the NFB convention. The following are some highlights and associated
benefits of participating as a sponsor.

The
top level this year will be known as the Title Sponsor. The sponsors at this
level will have an unparalleled opportunity to address the entire National Federation
of the Blind assembly during the opening day of the General Session. What better
way to get your message across than to have the attention of all of our attendees?
In addition, the Title Sponsor(s) will also select the featured speaker to address
the Community Partnership Breakfast. A featured picture ad will be displayed
on the National Federation of the Blind home page for thirty days, in addition
to links direct to your Web site from our NFB Web site. The first Title Sponsor
to sign up will receive the entire back cover of our national convention program
agenda for advertising. The second title sponsor to sign up will receive the
inside back cover.

New
benefits are also available this year for all sponsors. Beginning this year
for the first time, we will open the Exhibit Hall for a special evening dedicated
only to Sponsor-Level Exhibitors. This includes all the categories: Title, Platinum,
Gold, Silver, and Exhibit Hall. On Friday evening, July 2, the Exhibit Hall
will reopen from 7:00 to 10:00 p.m. for these exhibitors only. (Exhibitors that
have only purchased a table will not be allowed to open during these special
hours.) We encourage you to invite guests into the hall for special offers and
demonstrations. During these hours the amplification system will be available
for the sponsors that would like to make announcements about their products
or to offer special deals to those in attendance. An article can be submitted
to appear in our online publication, due to premiere by the time of the 2004
convention.

The
following breakdown provides specific details on each of the levels of sponsorship.
Please read through the merits associated with each of these levels and choose
the one that best suits your needs.

Title
Sponsorship, $25,000

*
Twenty complimentary convention registrations

*
Opportunity to address General Session on Friday, July 2

*
Twenty places at the Community Partnership Breakfast Friday, July 2, and opportunity
to choose a featured speaker

*
Twenty places and special recognition at the NFB Banquet, Sunday evening, July
4

*
Two tables in the Exhibit Hall

*
Signage on four walls in Exhibit Hall

*
Name and logo featured on stage banners

*
Use of Exhibit Hall on Friday evening from 7:00 to 10:00 p.m.

*
Special listing in convention agenda mentioning the sponsors and their use of
the hall on Friday evening

*
Premium placement of full-page ad in the convention agenda

*
Picture ad on the National Federation of the Blind Web site home page for thirty
days

*
Listing on NFB Web site under Exhibitors at National Convention, with a direct
link to your Web site

*
Opportunity to write an article for the NFB online publication with appropriate
direct links

Platinum
Sponsorship, $15,000

*
Fifteen complimentary convention registrations

*
Opportunity to address General Session on Friday, July 2

*
Fifteen places at the Community Partnership Breakfast Friday, July 2

*
Fifteen places and special recognition at the NFB Banquet, Sunday evening, July
4

*
Two tables in the Exhibit Hall

*
Signage on two walls in Exhibit Hall

*
Use of Exhibit Hall on Friday evening from 7:00 to 10:00 p.m.

*
Special listing in convention agenda mentioning the sponsors and their use of
the hall on Friday evening

*
Name and logo featured on stage banners

*
One full-page ad in the convention agenda

*
Listing on NFB Web site under Exhibitors at National Convention, with a direct
link to your Web site

*
Opportunity to write an article for the NFB online publication with appropriate
direct links

Gold
Sponsorship, $10,000

*
Ten complimentary convention registrations

*
Ten places at the Community Partnership Breakfast Friday, July 2

*
Ten places and recognition at the NFB Banquet, Sunday evening, July 4

*
Table in the Exhibit Hall

*
Use of Exhibit Hall on Friday evening from 7:00 to 10:00 p.m.

*
Special listing in convention agenda mentioning the sponsors and their use of
the hall on Friday evening

*
Name and logo featured on stage banners

*
One full-page ad in the convention agenda

*
Listing on NFB Web site under Exhibitors at National Convention, with a direct
link to your Web site

*
Opportunity to write an article for the NFB online publication with appropriate
direct links

Silver
Sponsorship, $5,000

*
Five complimentary convention registrations

*
Ten places at the Community Partnership Breakfast Friday, July 2

*
Ten places and recognition at the NFB Banquet, Sunday evening, July 4

*
Use of Exhibit Hall on Friday evening from 7:00 to 10:00 p.m.

*
Special listing in convention agenda mentioning the sponsors and their use of
the hall on Friday evening

*
One half-page ad in the convention program

*
Listing on NFB Web site under Exhibitors at National Convention * Opportunity
to write an article for the NFB online publication

Exhibit
Hall, $2,500

*
Five complimentary convention registrations

*
Five places at the Community Partnership Breakfast Friday, July 2

*
Five places at the NFB Banquet, Sunday evening, July 4

*
Use of Exhibit Hall on Friday evening from 7:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m.

*
Special listing in convention agenda mentioning the sponsors and their use of
the hall on Friday evening

*
One quarter-page ad in the convention program

*
Listing on NFB Web site under Exhibitors at National Convention

*
Opportunity to write an article for the NFB online publication

For
more information about signing up as a sponsor for the convention, please review
the information that came in your convention packet or contact: Mr. Jerry L.
Lazarus, Director of Special Projects, National Federation of the Blind, 1800
Johnson Street, Baltimore, Maryland 21230, (410) 659-9314, extension 2297, email
<jlazarus@nfb.org>, Web site, www.nfb.org.

Recipes

This
month's recipes come from members of the National Federation of the Blind of
South Dakota.

[PHOTO/CAPTION:
Karen Mayry]

Dad's
Hot Dish

by
Karen Mayry

Karen
Mayry is president of the NFB of South Dakota. She and her husband Marsh continue
to enjoy Karen's dad's favorite dish.

Ingredients:

1
pound ground meat, browned

1
large potato, sliced

4
carrots, sliced

1
medium onion, sliced

1
to 2 cups bouillon

Salt
and pepper to taste

Method:
Layer all ingredients in baking dish. Bake one hour at 350 degrees. You can
prepare this dish in a crock pot if desired.

[PHOTO/CAPTION:
Clayton Hyde]

Corn
Pudding

by
Clayton Hyde

Clayton
Hyde is vice president of the Ponderosa Chapter.

Ingredients:

2
cups cream style corn

2
tablespoons butter

1
egg

1
1/2 cup milk

1
tablespoon corn starch

1
tablespoon tapioca

1
teaspoon salt

1
tablespoon soy sauce

Buttered
bread crumbs

Method:
Mix all ingredients except crumbs, adding corn and beaten eggs last. Pour into
casserole and cover with buttered bread crumbs. Bake for twenty-five to thirty
minutes at 350 degrees or until set.

[PHOTO/CAPTION:
Mike Klimisch]

Mike's
Magic Malt

by
Mike Klimisch

Mike
Klimisch is the secretary of the NFB of South Dakota and president of the Falls
Chapter.

Ingredients:

3
cups skim milk

1
package frozen strawberries

1
banana (peeled)

1
teaspoon vanilla extract

1/4
teaspoon almond extract

1/4
teaspoon maple extract

1
tablespoon uncooked oatmeal

1
teaspoon ground flax seed

1/2
teaspoon flax seed oil

Method:
Place all ingredients in blender and blend. Add more milk as needed for desired
consistency. This would be a great drink for breakfast as well.

Eggless,
Butterless, and Milkless Cake

by
Erma Rogers

Erma
Rogers is a member of the Falls Chapter. She is ninety-two.

Ingredients:

2
cups sugar

1
cup shortening

2
cups water

2
teaspoons ground cloves

2
teaspoons freshly grated nutmeg

4
teaspoons ground cinnamon

1
teaspoon salt

2
cups raisins

1
cup applesauce

4
cups flour

2
teaspoons baking powder

2
teaspoons baking soda

Chopped
nuts, optional

Additional
chopped fruit (apple, oranges, etc.), optional

Method:
Combine sugar, shortening, water, spices, and salt in a kettle and boil covered
for three minutes. Add raisins and allow mixture to cool until shortening begins
to solidify. Stir in applesauce. Sift flour, baking powder, and baking soda
together and stir into sugar mixture. At this point you can add chopped nuts
and fruit to taste. Pour into greased and floured pan and bake at 350 degrees
for one hour or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

Hamburger
Pie

by
Deb Nefler

Deb
Nefler is secretary of the Falls Chapter of the NFB of South Dakota.

Ingredients:

1
medium onion, chopped

1
pound ground beef

1
can tomato soup

1
can corn or green beans

5
medium potatoes, peeled and cut into pieces

1/2
cup milk

1
egg

Method:
Cook potatoes in salted water till tender. While potatoes are cooking, brown
onion and ground beef with salt and pepper to taste. While they are browning,
heat tomato soup and add corn and or beans. Add tomato and vegetable mixture
to the hamburger. Pour this mixture into greased casserole. Mash potatoes with
the milk and egg and cover the meat mixture with mashed potatoes. Bake in a
preheated 350 degree oven for thirty minutes or until mixture is bubbly and
potatoes are lightly browned. Serves four. Note: I double the recipe and cook
it in a 13-by-9-inch dish. My family eats it all; there are no leftovers.

Chicken
Chow Mein

by
Deb Nefler

Ingredients:

Vegetable
cooking spray

1
1/2 cups chopped onion

1
cup sliced celery

1/2
cup chopped green pepper

2
cups cooked chicken, chopped

2-to-3
cups frozen Chinese vegetables

1
14-ounce can sliced mushrooms, drained

1/4
teaspoon ground cumin

1
tablespoon chicken-flavored bouillon granules

1
tablespoon cornstarch

3
cups water

Method:
Coat a large skillet with cooking spray and place over medium heat till hot.
Add onion, celery, and green pepper and cook, stirring constantly, three minutes
or till vegetables are tender-crisp. Stir in chicken, Chinese vegetables, mushrooms,
and cumin and cook over medium heat for one minute. Dissolve bouillon granules
and cornstarch in cold water. Add to mixture in pan and continue to cook over
medium heat, stirring constantly till thickened and bubbly. Note: Chicken chow
mein may be served over chow mein noodles or hot cooked rice. Serves seven with
one-cup servings.

Strawberry
Mousse

by
Deb Nefler

Ingredients:

1
(0.3-ounce) package sugar-free strawberry-flavored gelatin

1/2
cup water

1
1/2 cups sliced fresh strawberries

2/3
cup instant nonfat dry milk

6
ice cubes

Method:
Combine gelatin and water in small saucepan, stirring well. Let stand one minute.
Cook over low heat one minute or till gelatin dissolves, stirring constantly.
Combine gelatin mixture, strawberries, and dry milk in container of an electric
blender. Cover and process till smooth. Uncover and add ice cubes, one at a
time, processing till blended. Spoon mixture into 6 parfait glasses. Cover and
refrigerate till thoroughly chilled. If you prefer, you can use regular gelatin.

[PHOTO/CAPTION:
Glenn Crosby]

South
Dakota Grilled Steak

by
Glenn Crosby

Glenn
Crosby is first vice president of the NFB of South Dakota.

Ingredients:

1/3
cup black or mixed peppercorns

1
teaspoon coriander seeds

2
tablespoons coffee beans

1
tablespoon cilantro

1
teaspoon salt

4
buffalo steaks (Use beef when buffalo is not available.)

1
1/2 cups red wine

1/4
cup steak sauce

1/4
cup soy sauce

2
cloves garlic, crushed

2
teaspoons paprika

Method:
In a spice grinder or pepper mill, grind pepper, coriander seeds, and coffee
beans. Add salt and cilantro. Press spice mixture onto both sides of steaks
and place in large plastic food bags or a glass baking dish. Combine wine, steak
sauce, soy sauce, garlic, and paprika; pour over meat. Close bags or cover dish
and refrigerate for several hours. Turn steaks once or twice as they marinate.
(Reserve about a half cup of the marinade for grilling.) Remove meat from marinade
and pat dry with paper towels.

Preheat
grill to medium. Cook steaks over medium coals to desired doneness, allowing
ten to fifteen minutes per side for medium. Brush steaks with marinade as they
cook. Let steaks stand a few minutes before slicing.

[PHOTO/CAPTION:
Norma Crosby]

South
Dakota Walleye

by
Norma Crosby

Norma
Crosby is married to Glenn Crosby, and she is a leader in the NFB in her own
right.

Ingredients:

2
or more walleyed pike

1/2
cup corn meal

1/2
cup all-purpose flour

1/2
teaspoon salt

1/4
teaspoon pepper

1
egg, beaten

2
tablespoons milk

1/2
cup shortening

Method:
Cut walleye into serving-size pieces. Combine dry ingredients in bowl; combine
egg and milk in a separate bowl. Melt shortening in a skillet over medium heat.
Dip fish pieces into egg mixture, then flour, and fry in hot shortening until
golden brown and inside of fish is opaque and flakes when pierced with fork.

Buffalo
Pie

by
Norma Crosby

Ingredients:

1
1/2 cup cooked and shredded buffalo

1/8
cup corn oil

1/2
cup diced onion

1
tablespoon minced garlic

5
poblano chiles, seeded and chopped

5
tomatillos, chopped

1
cup chicken stock

1
cup heavy cream

salt
to taste

12
corn tortillas

1
1/2 cups mild Gouda cheese

1/2
cup chopped cilantro (for garnish)

1/2
cup sour cream (for garnish)

Method:
Remember that you must cook the buffalo before preparing the rest of the casserole.
Heat two tablespoons of the corn oil in a sauté pan over medium heat and cook
the onions until soft. Add the garlic, poblano, and tomatillos and let them
cook for about ten minutes, stirring frequently, until the poblano is soft.
Add the chicken stock and bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low, and cook
for another ten minutes. Add cream and cook for five minutes more.

Purée
the poblano sauce in a blender until smooth, strain, and return to the pan.
Season with salt and reduce some more if necessary. Sauce should coat the back
of a spoon.

Heat
a few tablespoons of corn oil over medium-high heat and cook the tortillas in
it for no more than ten seconds. Drain on paper towels.

Preheat
oven to 350 degrees. Place six tortillas on the bottom of a shallow baking or
casserole dish (about 9-by-11 inches or 10-by-10 inches; shape does not matter).
Cover the tortillas with half of the shredded buffalo, ladle on half the sauce,
and sprinkle with half of the cheese. Repeat with a second layer. Cover and
cook for thirty-five minutes, then uncover to brown lightly on top.

Cut
into serving-size pieces and garnish with cilantro and a dollop of sour cream.
Serves nine to ten.

Monitor
Miniatures

News
from the Federation Family

Donations
Needed for 2004 Braille Book Flea Market:

Donate
your gently used but no longer wanted Braille books to the 2004 annual Braille
Book Flea Market, sponsored by the National Organization of Parents of Blind
Children and the National Association to Promote the Use of Braille. Books should
be in good condition. Cookbooks and books suitable for children and young adults
are preferred. Books may be shipped Free Matter for the Blind between April
1 and June 1, 2004, to:

UPS
HR Department General Office

215
Marvin Miller Drive

Atlanta,
Georgia 30336

Att:
Christy Davis

Re:
NFB Conference Materials

Do
not mark the packages or boxes in any other way, and use the address exactly
as given here. Donations from the flea market will be used to support the Braille
Readers Are Leaders expanded literacy program.

[PHOTO/CAPTION:
Dan Burke holds a bouquet of roses made of $5 bills that he won as a door prize
at the banquet.]

Convention
Notes and Reminders:

The
March issue contained a misprint in the address for ordering tour packages for
convention. The address should have read: NFB of Georgia, P.O. Box 56859, Atlanta,
Georgia 30343. The initial 5 was omitted from the post office box number. We
regret the error.

Remember
that, if you wish to send door prizes for convention ahead of time, you can
ship them to Thelma Godwin, 1705 Paradise Drive, N.E., Atlanta, Georgia 30307.
Please label all prizes with the donor's name and the value of the item, and
remember to indicate what the prize is.

At
its fall meeting the board of directors regretfully voted to decline door prizes
containing alcohol in future. We therefore request affiliates, chapters, and
individuals to refrain from soliciting such prizes.

Elected:

Lynn
Heitz reports that in November of 2003 the NFB of Pennsylvania conducted elections
at its annual convention. Those elected were James Antonacci, president; Judy
Jobes, first vice president; Lynn Heitz, second vice president; Connie Johnson,
secretary; Charles Morgenstern, treasurer; and Denice Brown, Lisa Mattioli,
Rodney Powell, Mark Stracks, Cary Supalo, and Mike Wolk, members of the board
of directors.

In
January of 2004 the Keystone Chapter of the NFB of Pennsylvania held its elections.
The following officers were elected: Lynn Heitz, president; Mary Brucker, first
vice president; Harriet Go, second vice president; Georgia Nowaxzyk, secretary;
and Patricia Grebloski, treasurer.

Elected:

The
Capital District Chapter of the NFB of New York held its election on February
27, 2004, and the following officers were elected: Craig Hedgecock, president;
Jackie Batista, vice president; Rick Nestler, treasurer; Rey Torres, secretary;
and Beverly Parker, board member.

In
Brief

Notices
and information in this section may be of interest to Monitor readers. We are
not responsible for the accuracy of the information; we have edited only for
space and clarity.

Volunteers
Needed to Complete New Braille Music Survey:

Most
people who use Braille music--as well as those who teach it, produce it, or
distribute it--would probably agree that locating and obtaining the Braille
music scores they need or want is often difficult or impossible. Serious musicians
who use Braille music regard this shortage as a critical problem in need of
an aggressive solution.

Last
year, in response to these concerns, the North America/Caribbean Region of the
World Blind Union created a special task force whose purpose was "to examine
the status of Braille music transcription in North America and to determine
if there is a need to increase the capacity to produce it."

The
taskforce was chaired by Dr. Tuck Tinsley, president of the American Printing
House for the Blind, and it included representatives from each of the various
agencies and organizations that make up the North America/Caribbean Region.
Karen McDonald, second vice president of the National Association of Blind Musicians
(the NFB's music division) represented the National Federation of the Blind
on the taskforce.

McDonald
reports that the working group has now developed a comprehensive survey aimed
at gathering important information about Braille music such as who purchases
it; where it is produced; the types of music (classical, popular, vocal, instrumental)
that are most widely used; the quality of the product; the timeliness of delivery;
and any difficulties that people have experienced in obtaining the Braille music
they need.

The
next step is to reach as many people as possible who are interested in responding
to the survey. The greater the number of respondents, the more accurate and
complete the survey findings will be.

The
NFB national office is helping to disseminate the survey to members and others
interested in completing it. Requests for the survey form in Braille or large
print should be sent to Mrs. Patricia Maurer, 1800 Johnson Street, Baltimore,
Maryland 21230. An electronic version is available by sending an email request
to <pmaurer@nfb.org>.

Anyone
wishing to complete the survey online can go to the Web site of the American
Printing House for the Blind at <www.aph.org/brlmusicsurvey.html>. The
deadline for submitting completed surveys is June 1, 2004. Blind musicians,
parents and teachers of blind children, transcribers, and others with a particular
knowledge of and interest in the subject are encouraged to take advantage of
this opportunity to help shape the future of Braille music in North America.

Optelec
Sets Sights on Blindness Market:

On
February 16, 2004, we received the following press release:

Optelec,
Inc., a subsidiary of the Tieman Group (NL) and the leading supplier of video
and hand magnifiers for those with low vision, announced today that it will
enter the blindness market with a complete line of adaptive products designed
to increase the mobility and connectivity of blind children and adults. Product
launch is set for the second half of 2004.

Heading
the project is Larry Lewis, the newly appointed vice president of blindness
sales

.
Larry joins Optelec from Pulse Data International, a New Zealand-based company.
While at Pulse Data Larry led the development of the BrailleNote"℠family
of personal data assistants, serving as both product manager and head of U.S.
sales. Under Larry's gui摡湣攠瑨

idance
the product became the premiere portable information management system to date.
Most important, this technology has changed the lives of thousands of blind
users within educational, vocational, and residential settings.

Lewis
said: "I'm enthused by the opportunity to work with the Tieman Group and
to develop a blindness division for Optelec. For years Optelec has set the standard
for providing the most innovative solutions to North America's low-vision market,
and I welcome the challenge of mirroring this stellar effort by introducing
and driving the most innovative product line designed to serve blind people."

Congenitally
blind, Lewis was mainstreamed into the public school system. He is a fluent
Braille reader and writer and a strong advocate of Braille literacy. His Braille
reading and writing skills allowed him to attain a comprehensive formal education,
holding both an MA in English and an MS in special education (blind rehabilitation).
Lewis has an extensive background in assessing, training, and recommending systems
for those who require adaptive speech or Braille solutions.

Annette
Fasnacht, president of Optelec U.S., Inc., said: "I am delighted to have
Larry on our team; his broad experience and personal success bring excellent
leadership to this project. Larry has a true passion for technologies that allow
the blind to be mainstreamed into schools and compete in the workplace. Larry's
presence coupled with the extensive product development efforts underway at
Tieman in the Netherlands will allow Optelec to develop products and services
that will change the lives of blind people."

[PHOTO/CAPTION:
The Audio-Read handheld navigator]

Audio-Read:

Tony
Blackwood is a director of an Australian company called Audio-Read. After attending
the grand opening of the NFB Jernigan Institute, he made a presentation of his
company's portable audio player to the NFB research and development committee.
I was impressed enough with this product to ask him to tell Monitor readers
about it. He suggests that we think of the Audio-Read as a portable NFB-NEWSLINE®
player to listen to your favorite newspaper or magazine anywhere, anytime. This
is what he says:

The
Audio-Read System is also a suite of hardware, software, and audio content designed
to provide print-disabled readers access to newspapers, magazines, and books.
Fast delivery of content, ease of use, and simple content navigation are key
features. Audio-Read came about because the mother of one of our directors lost
most of her vision through age-related macular degeneration. Trudy was an avid
reader and was devastated by the sudden onset of this disease. We looked at
the alternatives available to give her the print access she was used to, but
no single option fitted the bill. So we formed Audio-Read and set about designing
a purpose-built player to give Trudy the freedom to read again.

Because
Trudy was in her late seventies and had no previous computer experience, we
designed the system to hide the underlying technology. We designed a custom-built,
handheld Audio Navigator and set-top box. These two pieces of hardware would
automatically gather her news and audio books from the Internet and put them
into a format she could easily use. Here is a brief description of some of the
portable Audio-Navigator's features:

Of
course having a portable player and seamless way to get content is of no use
without the content. So we contacted major Australian news publishers and now
offer daily newspapers and a selection of magazines. We approached audio book
publishers, hoping to make their content available economically. We now have
agreements with major publishers including the BBC (who owns Chivers), the Australian
Broadcasting Corporation, and many other smaller niche producers.

Audio-Read
uses digital technology to deliver its content, so users can be anywhere in
the world and still receive their local newspapers or selected audio books.

Here
are some of the projects we are working on:

*
We have successfully trialed our system in South Australia, and we are about
to embark on a full rollout in conjunction with the public library of South
Australia.

*
We are working with the Royal National Institute of the Blind UK to provide
daily delivery of DAISY-based TV guides, newspapers, timetables, and magazines.

*
We are working on several projects providing accessible text-based information
for local government authorities.

*
We are working closely with public libraries to evaluate the use of Audio-Read
for delivery and playback of digital audio books.

*
We have a number of other exciting projects in the pipeline and will be releasing
details in our newsletter in the coming months. We hope to present the Audio-Read
system at the NFB's annual convention in Atlanta in July. I am looking forward
to being back in the U.S.A., and I have been assured that the weather in Atlanta
in July will be nothing like the weather in Baltimore in January.

For
more information about the Audio-Read service, you can register your interest
by dropping us a short email at <info@audio-read.com.au>. or learn more
about us at <www.audio-read.com.au>.

Braille
NASCAR Racing Schedules Now Available:

For
a free NASCAR Racing Schedule in Braille contact Linda at Braille International,
Inc. The schedule includes the NASCAR Nextel Cup, NASCAR Busch Series, and Craftsman
Truck Series races. To order phone (888) 336-3142 or email <linda@brailleintl.org>.

New
Rates for InternetSpeech's netECHO:

InternetSpeech's
netECHO® is the only voice Internet service to give you access to the entire
Web without a computer. You can surf and browse any Web site, listen to and
respond to your email, search any word, and much more--pretty much anything
you can do using a computer and visual browser, you can now do by phone.

The
rates are very affordable. Program A: $12 a month, unlimited use. You call a
toll number in the 408 area code. Program B: $21 a month. You call a toll-free
number. Includes five hours of use, five cents per minute for additional minutes
for the U.S. and Canada. There is a one-time set up fee of $20 for both programs.

Just
call (877) 312-4638 or (408) 360-7730 to learn more and sign up. You can also
visit our Web site at <www.internetspeech.com>.

Independent
Living Aids, Inc., Acquires Ann Morris Enterprises:

We
recently received the following press release:

Independent
Living Aids, Inc., the country's oldest privately held mail-order business specializing
in products for the blind and visually impaired, acquired Ann Morris Enterprises
on February 1, 2004. Ann Morris has been in business for eighteen years and
is one of the most respected and established mail-order companies in the industry.
ILA is in its twenty-seventh year of continuous operation.

ILA
intends to maintain the Ann Morris identification by continuing to publish its
catalog of unique products for the visually impaired and by maintaining its
Web site <www.annmorris.com>. Ann Morris, regarded as the Lillian Vernon
of the blind mail-order industry, will assist with the transition and will share
her expertise on an on-going basis. The acquisition enhances both companies'
product lines, which ultimately benefits all customers. ILA can now offer a
more comprehensive range of CAN-DO( Products through its catalogs and on its
Web site <www.independentliving.com.>

Exploring
Independence:

Candle
in the Window will hold its eighteenth conference from Wednesday, August 11,
through Sunday, August 15, 2004, at the Kavanaugh Life Enrichment Center, outside
of Louisville, Kentucky. Participants will explore many aspects of independence
within and outside the blindness community. For instance, if independence is
so desirable, why do so many people resist it so mightily, and why do others
value it above all else?

Cost
for the conference will be $240, which covers lodging, meals, conference materials,
and transportation to and from Louisville International Airport. Participants
sending a $35 deposit postmarked no later than July 15 will qualify for a $15
discount on conference fees. Payment plans and scholarships will be available.

The
notice in this section has been edited for clarity, but we can pass along only
the information we were given. We are not responsible for the accuracy of the
statements made or the quality of the product for sale.

For
Sale:

I
am selling a simple-to-use color identifier with two buttons. It will tell you
color, brightness, saturation, and hue. I am asking $450 or best offer. Those
interested can call or email me at daytime phone (202) 345-3609, email <philip_ashley2000@yahoo.com>.

NFB
PLEDGE

I
pledge to participate actively in the efforts of the National Federation of
the Blind to achieve equality, opportunity, and security for the blind; to support
the policies and programs of the Federation; and to abide by its constitution.